Blessed
by rising-balloons
Summary: Everyone in Arendelle was blessed by the sun millions of years ago, giving them powers over light, warmth or both. But Elsa's Different. She loses her head and is shipped off to the Suburbs, the dreaded place of people who are Different. There she finds the life she's always wanted. But soon, her past begins to threaten everything she's come to love and worked so hard for.
1. Stomped On

***Hello everyone! I applaud you all for clicking this fanfic, and I would like you to know: **

**~That this story will be mostly in third person, centering around specific characters- ex. Elsa, Anna, Hans, Belle, Flynn, etc. **

**~Anna is in ninth grade. Elsa is in tenth. **

**~It will also include characters, not just from Frozen, but also Brave, Tangled, ROTG, and Beauty and the Beast!**

_**Leave any characters you want to be put in the story in the comments. Any characters you want put in need to include: **_

_**Name **_

_**Movie **_

_**Power- Light, Warmth, Both, or Other- and list Other if it is that. **_

_**School- Anna or Elsa's. Anna's is the regular school, Elsa's is the "different" one. Any characters need to be submitted by the fourth chapter at the latest. **_**I am willing to accept non-Disney characters if you really want.* **

**Part One- Stomped On **

Elsa held in her tears as she left for school. Her parents used to always give her a kiss on the forehead before she left for school. Once, she had thought it was babyish. Now, she wished they were with her. Their deaths were still fresh. Only about a month or two ago. Was it three, rather? Elsa didn't want to remember. How was she supposed to hold in her ice when they weren't there to help her?

"C'mon, Elsa, let's go!" shouted Anna from the back door. Of course, she would have no problems blending in; she was just like everyone else. Anna kicked the door impatiently. "Elsa, we're gonna miss the bus!"

"Coming!" yelled Elsa, her voice cracking slightly. She shoved on her boots and jacket and ran after Anna. But she didn't need the layers.

The cold never bothered her.

{Later}

At last, school was let out. Elsa had nearly lost control multiple times.

She grabbed her jacket from her locker and started packing her backpack. As usual, she could barely cram in all of her homework. But Elsa didn't mind homework; it took her mind off things. Plus, it gave her a reason to hide away in her room.

A hand was put on her shoulder. She jumped, barely containing the icicles about to shoot out of her hands. She whirled around to yell at Anna. Except it wasn't Anna. It was Hans, Anna's boyfriend. They had been together since the first day of school. Anna amazed her sometimes. The only problem Elsa had with Hans was that he seemed untrustworthy. He had been caught multiple times cheating on girls.

"Hello, Elsa," said Hans pleasantly. Elsa narrowed her eyes at him. "I wanted to ask you a question about Anna."

"Go ahead," said Elsa warily.

"What would she say," he said, "if she knew about your… ah…_ differences_?"

"What differences?' asked Elsa even more warily. In response, Hans lifted a hand. A small ball of light enveloped his hand. Pretty standard power display. People did it all the time. There was no shortage of light or warmth in Arendelle. "Do this," he said.

She clenched her fists. "I don't want to," she said angrily, and picked up her backpack. "See, Elsa," said Hans as she made her escape, "I've been watching you." She stopped dead in her tracks.

"I've noticed certain things about you," he said.

"Like what?" asked Elsa as coolly as possible.

"Right now," he said. "The temperature is dropping."

"They turn off the heaters after school," replied Elsa.

"Or maybe," said Hans, "it's _you_."

She was starting to really get agitated now. She wasn't used to so many questions. She clenched her fists harder.

"You avoid school dances."

"Many people do. I would prefer to focus on my studies."

"You don't attend Light Harnessing or Warmth Spreading classes."

"My parents-"

"Ah," said Hans, holding up a hand to stop her, "alas, they are dead. Besides, Anna attends _both_ these classes. She's a _Prodigy_." Elsa cringed.

"Hans, why the questions-"

"And," continued Hans, "why do you wear gloves?"

"Why not?" said Elsa, desperately trying to keep her cool.

He gave her a pointed look. "It's always summer in Arendelle. How could it not be? Everyone here has power over warmth or light. Or sometimes both. Except you."

She was launching into a cold sweat now. "Stop, or I'll-"

"Or what?" sneered Hans.

"I'll-"

She couldn't hold on to it anymore. She let go. If her parents were still alive, she might have managed. But they were gone.

Icicles shot out of her hands and made a wall around her. Hans backed up into a locker, startled. Snowflakes swept around the hall.

Anna and one of her friends, Belle, a dark-haired beauty, turned the corner. Another of her friends, Flynn, tagged along behind them. They were all laughing together.

Until they saw Hans, shivering up against a locker; Elsa, opposite him with ice walls towering above her, and snowflakes floating through the air. Both had semi-terrified, semi-glee expressions. Elsa had been wanting to unleash her powers at Hans for _months_.

Belle gave a terrified squeak. Flynn gave a shout. Both began shivering.

Anna stared at Elsa.

"How- what-" she managed. "Was that _you_?"

"Yes," said Elsa shortly. Anna finally knew. She could finally stop hiding. "Anna-"

"Have you always been able to do this?!" shouted Anna.

"Yes," she replied.

"Why didn't you tell me?" yelled Anna.

"Why should I have?" asked Elsa, starting to get upset. "I hurt you, Anna, I didn't want-"

"What about what I would have wanted. I thought we were _close_. We're sisters! We've been through thick and thin, through the loss of our parents! _How could you_?!" She trembled with what Elsa automatically assumed was anger. She was so upset, a large ring of snow around her was melting, with her in the center. She became hard to look at, she was so bright.

"That lock of your hair, the white one-" Elsa was interrupted.

"You even kept my _hair color_ a secret from me?! _I hate you!" _

And with that, Elsa's heart broke to pieces.

"Anna, please, let me explain-" she started to weep.

"NO! For all I know, we aren't even related!"

And Anna was stomping on the pieces, making them even smaller.

"You've been shutting me out! You keep secrets from the _only family you have left_! Clearly, we aren't sisters!"

And then begun ripping each tiny piece into shreds.

She turned around and stomped off, sobbing. Belle and Flynn ran after her. Hans gave Elsa the most awful, wicked grin she had ever seen as he trailed slightly behind them.

Elsa lost it. Her heart, shattered into a million stomped on, ripped up, broken pieces, was gone. Anna had backed her the corner of her walls, and there she sat, shaking, silently crying, for the first time in her life,

cold.

hard.

and broken.

everything she had once loved was gone.

***Kind of, as in very, short. I also broke my feels. **

**For future notice, Elsa's narration style will be in lowercase. Mostly because she feels small and broken. For example: **

**like the end of the chapter. **

"**why would you eat a pencil?" asked joe. A note to small children: don't eat pencils. **

_**flowers are pretty**_**, thought rachel. **

**This story will be updated as soon as the next chapters are done or whenever I feel like it. If I do not update for a while, I am sorry, I will have been busy with homework/my other, semi-finished fanfic/the fact that I have a social life. But not-often updating, for me, is pretty rare. Don't forget to submit characters!***

**Pun Of The Day: **

**The best thing to carry with you when you're feeling tired is a knapsack.**


	2. Interrogated

***Okay, folks! Here we go!* **

**Note: When/if there are reviews, I will answer them at the beginning of chapters. **

**So: **

**SnowQueen: YES I WILL PUT HER IN GREAT IDEA**

**Guest: I know right? Thanks! I will definitely make more! **

**Thanks for reviewing, guys! EEEP I'M SO EXCITED! **

**Part 2: Interrogated **

elsa sat wearily in her chair. officials had been grilling her for hours. her school principal and foster parents were also in the room. the officials had tried to force anna into questioning too, but she had declined. their foster parents, mary and seth, had respected her decision and argued with the officials until they gave up.

"how long have you had your powers?" was asked at least five times. since birth.

"are you a shiner or a heater or a prodigy or neither?" had been asked three. neither, but anna was a prodigy.

"who else knew?" was asked seven times. only her parents.

these questions were asked to her over and over. few others were asked. elsa supposed they were trying to aggravate her into using her powers, but she was in too much shock for that.

mary and seth were also questioned. they were made to give a power display and give their account of the past few months when anna and elsa had been with them.

finally, the officials left, leaving elsa, mary and seth alone. instead of keeping their distance, like elsa had thought they would, they rushed to her and swept her up in their arms.

"oh, elsa," said mary, "i wish you had told us. we wouldn't have judged." mary was the sweetest woman elsa knew. she had no doubt she would have kept elsa's secret, but elsa hadn't felt comfortable telling her. mary looked up at her sadly. "we are going to be separated no matter what happens. but we want you to know," she said, nodding at her and seth, who nodded with her, being a man of few words, "that we do love you, no matter who you are. and that we will take care of anna for you."

elsa felt tears sting her eyes. everything was so awful. anna hated her. this was likely the last time she would see mary, the petite, loving lady she had come to love, and seth, the strong, sturdy man of a few words.

"so, before we must depart," continued mary, "we want to know the story of the girl of the ice and snow."

"what?" said elsa, startled.

"we want to know your life's tale. you never told us before, so this is our last chance to hear it."

elsa thought for a minute. she figured she owed them as much. "yes, i will." she said softly.

she began weaving the bits and pieces of her life together, into a story. the story of her life. after the story, mary and seth were silent. well, mary was silent; seth sat there as he always did.

"thank you, elsa," said mary. tears were running down her face.

"i owed you," said elsa, also starting to cry. seth gathered them all up into a giant hug, and there they cried until the official came back.

the woman official that had been taking notes in the back was the only one to arrive. she sat down at the table. "hi, i'm joelle. i'm the official in charge of the suburbs."

elsa felt a twinge of fear through her shock. the suburbs? what?

the suburbs was where the different people went. they were forced to do live there, away from arendelle their entire lives. it was rumored that there, you lived like an animal, alone in the woods, until you proved your worth. unless you could survive. the people that lived there were supposedly savage cannibals. it was also rumored that in the suburbs, there was no warmth or light. you lived cold and alone, your entire life in the suburbs.

joelle continued. "you are to be sent to the suburbs tomorrow morning at seven. you may bring a small bag of prized possessions with you. please know that people in the suburbs prefer a different type of clothing. say your goodbyes tonight. unless somehow your current powers disappear and are replaced with shiner, heater or prodigy abilities, you will not be returning. that is all. you may go." joelle stood and left. the trio followed her out the door.

elsa's heart was too numb to process all of this new change and heartbreak. as soon as she arrived home, she hit her pillow and fell asleep.

mary woke her early the next morning, before even the sun had risen. them being the people blessed by the sun, this was unusual. "elsa," she whispered, "get up. you have to pack before you leave."

"what?" asked elsa, in one blessed moment of forget. then it all came rushing back to her. she was a blessed arendellian no more. she never had been. and now, her secret was out. "oh." she got up out of her bed. she looked over and saw anna's empty bed. anna had refused to sleep with her last night. her heart filled with heavy sadness.

mary left the room, and elsa began to dress. she packed her meager things. a picture of her parents on their wedding day, looking bright and alive. a photo of the entire summers family, right before the accident. her snowflake necklace. her music device and earbuds, a secret treasure from her parents. a picture of anna and her from when they were little, before elsa had any worries. a photo of mary and seth. some clothes, but not many. she would get new ones in the colony. her hairbrush.

she turned from the room. an idea occurred to her. she went over to her desk and began to write. then, she hid the letter away.

she brought her bag downstairs. a plate of waffles was waiting for her. her favorite breakfast. she looked up at seth. "thank you," she said quietly.

he smiled down at her. "you're welcome."

she ate a small amount. just one waffle, but for her, that was huge. she had stopped eating after they died, and recently had regained the habit.

a honk sounded from outside. her ride to the suburbs. mary and seth were waiting by the doorway. she hugged them both, crying. no words were spoken, none needed to be.

she walked out the door, head held high, tears streaming down her face. she looked back at mary and seth, holding each other and watching her go. "tell anna i love her," she whispered, and left.

***Wow! Even shorter! But it conveyed important info, so I guess it was needed.**

**Why did I not type Elsa's life story? Because I will make you wait for that. You will eventually hear it later. **

**Some made-up terms were used in this story, so from time to time I will be updating my Dictionary. * **

**Dictionary**

**Prodigy: a person who possesses power over light and heat. (Like Anna) **

**Shiner: a person who possesses power over light. (Like Hans) **

**Heater: a person who possesses power over heat. (Like Mary and Seth) **

**Power Display: a demonstration of skills/achievements of an Arendellian. **

**Official: a government worker in Arendelle .**

**The Suburbs: well, you already know. **

**For future notice, Official, Suburbs, Prodigy, Shiner and Heater are usually capitalized, but Elsa was narrating, so this time they weren't. **

**Pun Of The Day: **

**I used to have a fear of hurdles, but I got over it. **

**Well, see ya! Don't forget to submit characters!**


	3. Elsa Marysdaughter

***So now, we arrive at the Suburbs! Now, we come closer to meeting characters from other movies! Even though we've already met Belle and Flynn. They count. But now we're going to have other characters, so yay!* **

**Reviews: **

**Guest: I know right? The world hates her for an extremely stupid reason. I'm glad you like it! I totally agree with you! **

**Part 3- Elsa Marydaughter**

the ride was shorter than elsa would have thought, but the view out the window was spectacular. the rising sun was beautiful. elsa supposed she should get up earlier. the first ray of sunshine came over arendelle, and it hit her face. she sighed. it felt so warm and forgiving.

eventually, the mobile drove up into a town. the suburbs. most of the houses seemed vacant as she looked around. a few people were wandering in the streets. they waved at her car. she shrank into the seat. did they have powers, too? powers like elsa's?

the mobile drove into a driveway. she looked up at the house. it wasn't a simple two-story, like in arendelle. it was huge and sprawling, and covered a large area of the already-huge lawn. it was practically a mansion. when she lowered her gaze, she saw two people standing on the front step. a man and a woman. they waited patiently there as elsa gathered her things from the mobile and stepped out. as soon as she shut the door, the mobile drove away.

"wait! she cried. she ran after it a few steps. the mobile didn't turn around, though; it just left her coughing on the dust left behind.

she turned around. the man and woman were still waiting on the front step. she walked over to them and stood in front of them.

"hello," said elsa quietly. "i am elsa summers."

they smiled warmly at her. the woman stepped forward. "hello, elsa," she said, shaking her limp hand, "i am madison greengrower. this is my husband, carter volts." carter waved.

elsa gasped. "but that's not allowed," she stuttered. "your names-"

"it's okay, elsa summers," said madison. "in the suburbs, we prefer not to have name restrictions."

elsa gradually relaxed. "all right, then," she said.

in arendelle, names could not exceed five letters in length. it made names matter less. it left arendellian blessed to concentrate more on helping arendelle grow. only high-ranking officials, like joelle, were allowed to exceed the limit of letters. clearly, here was not the same. so many syllables to memorize. _mah-dih-suhn, _elsa pronounced silently. what an odd name. _cahr-turr. _

"how come you have different last names?" elsa asked curiously.

madison smiled. "our last names usually refer to our talent. for example, i am madison greengrower. i have a way of getting plants to do what i ask." a fern by madison's foot curled up and around her leg. it then curled up her torso. elsa gasped, and madison laughed.

the man, carter, stepped forward. "being carter volts, i have a way with electricity." carter gathered his hands together and hunched over. after a few seconds, he swung his hands up, up, towards the sky. a small bundle of electricity, glowing white-hot, went up to the sky. it exploded, showering sparkly sparks everywhere. elsa clapped, and carter grinned.

madison spoke again. "what can you do, elsa summers?"

elsa shrank back. "umm... " she trailed off.

madison gave her another gentle smile. "do not worry, elsa. you can show us when you feel ready. for now, you will be elsa, then your mother's name-daughter. what was your mother's name?"

elsa felt ever more tears in her eyes. madison rushed over to her. "oh, elsa," she said, wrapping her up in a hug, "you don't need to cry. we can talk about names later, when you're ready to go to school. for now, we should show you your room."

elsa felt herself being lead inside. she looked up just in time to see a giant, glittering chandelier hanging from the high ceiling. she marveled at the simple beauty.

madison and carter started going up stairs. "come on," said carter, gesturing after him. elsa followed.

finally, they arrived at a door. madison gestured towards it this time. "go ahead, open it," she said softly.

elsa opened the door. inside was a plush bed with a beautiful blue-white-and-red pattern on it. a desk, painted white, stood against a wall. the walls of the spacious room themselves were stark white. bare, except for the empty picture frames that hung on them. a series of large windows adorned the walls, too. a few more frames were on the desk. a see-through glass nightstand was beside the bed. in the middle of the floor was a fuzzy rug. a walk-in closet and bathroom door could be seen off to the side of the room.

elsa ran over to the windows, dropping her bag on her new bed. "woah," she breathed, taking in the view.

carter came over to the windows, too. "i know, right? it's a lot to take in," he said.

elsa was startled. "you transferred here too?"

he grinned, still looking out the window. "yep. i did. i hid it for a while. four, five years."

"you came here when you were five?" elsa asked.

"no. i had a freak accident when i was nine. man, it hurt, a whole lot, but it was worth it. i got to meet the love of my life." he smiled back at madison, who was watching from the threshold.

"anyway," he continued, "we'll leave you alone now. i know the tales you've grown up hearing about the suburbs. but we aren't like that, i just want you to know. you must be going through a lot right now, i know, so we'll leave you alone. you can cry in peace." with that, he and madison left, closing the door with a small _click!_ behind them.

elsa flopped back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling for who knows how long. carter was right, this world was not like she had always believed. longer names? fancier houses? no cannibals or evil forests? woah. at one point, she must have fallen asleep, because she woke to see the time-device showing 13:00 hours. she roused herself to unpack. she took the fragile photos from her bag and placed the in various frames. the wedding picture goes on her dresser. mary and seth go on a wall, along with the summers family. she tucked anna into a small frame and put her in the drawer. her hairbrush goes in the bathroom. the snowflake necklace goes, well, around her neck. her clothes go in the enormous closet.

lastly, she took out the music device. she had been so puzzled when she first got it. apparently, people called "singers" used to perform and make "music" for other people. from what she could tell, beautiful music. but these "singers" and their art had long been eradicated from the world. elsa wondered why.

she turned it on, watching the glowing screen turn a soft blue. she flipped through her list of "songs", the singer's music, when she came across a song she had never seen before. she put the ear-pieces in and pressed "play".

huh. this song was called "come as you are", by someone named "nirvana". elsa wondered who mr. nirvana was.

_come, as you are _

_as you were _

_as i want you to be. _

_as a friend, as a friend, _

_as an old enemy. _

_take your time, hurry up. _

_the choice is yours, don't be late. _

_take the rest, as a friend _

_as an old memoria, memoria, memoria, memoria… _

elsa felt tears come again. this time, she didn't try to stop them as she laid on the floor, snuggled up in her fuzzy carpet. this song summarized her life so well. as if it were written for her.

she listened to the rest in a daze. finally, the song ended. elsa got up off the floor and wiped away the tears. she put her music box in the same drawer anna was in. then, she walked down the stairs.

she wandered the house for a while, getting lost quickly. eventually, she found the room madison and carter were in. it looked like an eating area. madison and carter were perched on stools, nibbling on some crackers.

"hello, elsa!" said madison warmly. "are you feeling better?"

"much, thanks," responded elsa. "i have been thinking."

"about what?" asked madison.

"my name." madison drew herself upright. so did carter. all eyes were in elsa now.

"my mother…" elsa had to fight back more tears. madison and carter nodded, waiting patiently. "my mother was killed last year. last april. so was my father. my sister and i were in the accident, but we both survived."

madison's eyes filled with tears. "oh, sweetie," she said, but elsa shook her head.

"my sister and i were put into a foster home with two people named mary and seth. they took care of us until i was discovered. my sister is still with them. they were very kind, and helped me keep my will to live. so i have decided, for now, to take on mary's name. i'm now elsa marysdaughter. "

carter's face brightened. "that's wonderful!" he exclaimed.

"and," said elsa, drawing in a deep breath, i want to show you something. do you have any particularly large rooms?"

"actually, we do," said carter. he lead madison and elsa up to the very top floor, a large, abandoned, dusty space, with nothing in it. elsa smiled. "perfect."

madison and carter stood off to the side, watching her. elsa gathered up her hands, and they began to whirl. the two watched, intrigued. elsa prepared to throw her snowball up in the air.

when the snowball fizzled out in her hands, and the world went black.

_anna shook elsa. it was late at night. "elsa! can we do it tonight?" anna's young, innocent face portrayed excitement. "please please please?"_

_elsa rolled over in her bed. "why now?" she grumbled. _

_anna flopped dramatically onto the bed. "the sky's awake, so_ i'm_ awake. elsa, come on!" she whispers, attempting to drag elsa out of bed. elsa sit up. "oh, fine," she fake-grumbled, grinning. _

_the two little girls ran into the kitchen downstairs. they pulled down the curtains, blocked the door cracks with towels to keep others from feeling the cold. finally, the stage was set. _

"_do the magic," whispered anna. _

_elsa grinned and began to form her snowball. _

***And, ladies and gentlemen, that is the end of chapter three! How did you guys like it? **

**The song mentioned was Come As You Are by Nirvana, who is a band, not a mister. It's a great song. **

**This story, now that I look at it, is part Unwanteds, part Harry Potter, part Divergent, and part something else I can't put my finger on. This plot is a combination of all my favorite books. **

**Submit characters, guys! I now have in the story, not already mentioned: **

**Rapunzel Corona **

**Jack Frost- should I do Jelsa, guys? Yay or nay? **

**James Savage- from Beauty and the Beast. He's Beast, guys. **

**Merida Windsoar **

**Elphaba Thropp from Wicked- thank you SnowQueen for submitting her! Great idea!**

**Enough spoilers! Submit, people! Goodnight!* **

**my Dictionary **

**mobile: an Official vehicle, like a weird version of a car- use your imagination!**

**the name-thing: like, Marksson, (Mark's son,) Clairesdaughter (Claire's daughter). They choose their final name when they reveal their powers to others. **


	4. A Rude Awakening

***Okay, guys! Part Four! **

**I have decided to extend the character submitting to Parts Six, or Seven at the **_**very latest. Very. Latest. **_**So far, there is the cast of characters listed last time, plus:**

**None submitted, guys! **

**Reviews: **

**yuli120501: Okay, I will. :) I can see them as friends too! **

**Lyanah: as Elsa gets more upset, her letters become more lowercase. As she gets happier, more letters become uppercase. Don't worry, your plight will be eased soon. (To be honest, it annoys me a teeny bit too) And thanks! I wasn't sure what his name was, so I chose something princely and left it with that. I'll change his name. **

**Guest: I know right, me too! That song is not super well-known, so I added the title in case anyone wanted to listen. Just as a warning, there is more music guys :) mwahahahaha! Yes, Rapunzel and Merida are in there for sure. **

**Well, let's go!***

**Part Four: A Rude Awakening**

elsa woke on the floor, gasping. madison and carter were crouched around her, concerned. elsa tried to sit up, and the world went dizzy. she reluctantly succumbed to madison and carter pushing her back onto the floor.

"what happened?" asked carter worriedly. his fingers buzzed with nervous electricity.

"i don't know," answered elsa. "it was going just fine. just like it used to. then it- it stopped, and i dreamed."

carter's eyes were far away. "i need to research this." he said, and dashed out of the room.

madison called out, "wait-" but he was already gone. she sighed.

"sorry, elsa, you'll have to excuse him. he researches when he's confused. or worried. or both." she sighed again and blew hair out of her face.

"it's okay," said elsa. she sat up again, more slowly, and the world didn't spin as much. madison rubbed her back as the world righted itself. then she asked quietly, "what did you dream about?"

elsa started. madison quickly said, "it's okay. you don't have to," but elsa shook her head. if she could trust anyone here in the suburbs, it would be madison and carter. she had bonded with them so fast; they were such nice people.

"in my room," she said, and madison nodded. she helped elsa to her room, and the two sat on her bed. elsa crossed the room, over to the drawer in her desk where she kept all of her arendelle stuff. she had decided that's where the clothes and brush would go when she got new ones. and it was where she stored the music device. it was her old life drawer. she removed the photo of anna and elsa, now in its frame, and brought it over to madison.

madison looked at it silently. "is that you?" she whispered, as she traced little elsa's head with her finger.

"yes." she smiled. she had been so young and carefree when this photo was taken. back then, her powers hadn't been a problem. "that one's me. that one's my younger sister, a-" she felt herself choke. her throat had a lump in it. she cleared her throat. "my younger sister," she said, her voice wavering, "anna."

madison hugged her. "she must have meant a lot to you," she said quietly. her bright green eyes, the color of leaves, shone with unshed tears.

elsa nodded, tears in her eyes. "she does. but i mean nothing to her. i'm just her weird older sister, something to hide. she- she- _hates _me now." elsa buried her head in madison's shoulder. she could tell madison was surprised, but she didn't pull away.

elsa didn't realize how much she had been craving an embrace until now. she hadn't realized how much she had wanted love and acceptance. madison's shoulder was so warm. she felt safe there as she cried.

"did she not know?" asked madison after elsa had calmed down.

"yes," elsa answered, "and no. she used to. then she had to forget. i hurt her, madison. i hurt her so badly. so she forgot. then, she found out, years later. it was terrible. her boyfriend suspected me. he provoked me, and i lost it right as anna came into view. she saw everything. she told me that i-i- wasn't her- her-"

"her…?"

"her _sister_."

"elsa. elsa, listen to me." madison drew elsa up from her sobs and looked her in the eye. "you two sound like you were close. she rejected you because she was afraid of you, elsa. that's one of the worst reasons there is. you don't need her, elsa. you can remember her. remember your memories of you guys as sisters, cherish them. hold on to them tight and don't let go. but the suburbs is about starting again. creating a new, happy life, where you are welcome to express yourself freely. anna will always be a part of who you are. same with your parents, and mary and seth. you need to forget them, if just for a little while as you get used to your new life. soon, you'll go to school. you'll make friends who aren't afraid of you, who are like you. you won't be alone anymore. so for now, you just need to let her go."

elsa was shocked out of her sobs by this speech. "okay. it just is, my parents-"

her face softened. "elsa, you've had such a hard life so far. i want to help you turn that around. your parents, you have to remember them. i know what that feels like, at least. i was born here. i lived a happy life here. then my mom died when i was thirteen. we were so close. she had powers just like mine. my dad, he shut me out out of grief. i had to build myself back up with my friends, and it took a long time. but i'm okay now. i can see pictures of her now without crying. i'm happy again. i want to help you through that."

elsa stared at her. "anna was my only friend, ever."

madison squeezed her shoulders. "it's okay. you'll make some."

carter chose this moment to rush in. "there you are!" he exclaimed. he had a thick textbook with him. "i was in my study, researching powers, when i found out this. 'a traumatic experience can shut off positive emotion, which fuels all powers in the universe. the more traumatic, the more time it takes to recover, the longer the power hides away. events like close relatives, associates, or pet's deaths tend to take longest to recover from. Injuries and falling outs also have effects on powers.'" he looked up excitedly. "this explains everything! which one did you suffer from?"

madison gave him a dirty look at that last part. carter blushed furiously. "oh, um, i'm sorry if…"

"no, it's okay. i suffered from all three. two deaths, a falling-out yesterday, and injury." she fought back cries for the millionth time that day.

"who?" asked carter curiously. madison gave him another look. he blushed again. "oh, umm…"

"it's okay. i have to get it out, or i'll explode somewhere more public." madison smiled at her. "there was an...ah… accident a few months ago, last april."

"you mean like half a year, right? it's november," answered carter.

now elsa blushed. "oh. i didn't know. time went by faster than i thought. anyway, both of my parents were killed. anna survived through the entire thing conscious. i don't actually know what happened. i blacked out right before impact. in the end, i survived, and was left with this," she said, gesturing to her arm. madison and carter looked confused. she rolled up the sleeve on her right arm.

a long, puckered scar ran around her right arm like a vine. it was a vivid yellow and purple line, with bits of veins bulging out at the wrong spots. it was ghastly.

madison and carter gasped. "oh, my," said carter. "that would _definitely _affect your emotional state."

"i went into depression after my parents died. i stopped eating. i locked myself in my room. they had been the only ones who knew my secret, my different power. i felt alone. anna and i moved into a foster home. mary and seth, our foster parents, began to build me back up. they forced my pain pills and food down my throat. i was starting to recover when i blew it. anna saw everything, and she, she, well, said some hurtful things. now we're here." elsa finished.

carter looked at her seriously for once, his elfish eyes toned down. "i understand more about you now. thank you for sharing with us."

they sat in silence, thinking, when carter broke the silence. "anyway, the book says on of the best ways to recover is friends."

elsa said, "i don't _have _friends."

"then we'll have to make you some. i expect you'll be having these episodes of yours any time an event duplicates one from your past. are there any girls her age that have the healing talent?" this last question was directed at madison.

madison thought for a moment. "my lessons involve kids with the plant talent. i occasionally teach one girl…" she trailed off for a moment, lost in thought. she snapped her fingers. "rapunzel corona."

carter nodded. "the one with all the hair?"

"yes. her power came from that plant, so she has a small amount of it over greenery. i see her in lessons every once in a while."

elsa watched this back-and-forth interestedly.

"what's she like?" asked carter.

"she's one of the nicest teenagers i've ever met. elsa will probably love her, as do most people who know her. Plus, she can help elsa out of her fits, maybe even help her recover."

"okay then. elsa, we have a girl your age you should meet. when do you think we could invite her over? you two could do something together."

"i might need a few days. what's her name?"

madison said, "okay, we'll wait 'till you give us the okay. her name is rapunzel corona. she's your age."

"what would we do together?" asked elsa uncomfortably.

"you could watch a movie with some popcorn and talk. you girls could even have a sleepover!" exclaimed madison.

elsa was overwhelmed. about half the sentence made sense to her. "movie? popcorn? sleepover? what are those?"

"movies are like pictures combined together to make something move on a screen. the pictures act out stories. popcorn is a suburbs snack. sleepover is when one girl sleeps over in another girl's house for a night. don't worry, rapunzel will help explain."

"okay." elsa felt so confused.

madison looked over at the clock. "it's nearly twenty-three hundred hours. we need to get to bed. you must be exhausted." elsa nodded.

she threw back the covers on her bed and climbed in. madison and carter tucked her in and said goodnight.

_what a day, _thought elsa.

***So! How was it? You people have to REVIEW to tell me! **

**I know, yeah, this is in an archive for school. Don't worry, I just have to build up Elsa's relationships before she gets there. As in, meeting Rapunzel! Elphaba and the rest of the crew will come in later. **

**I had JUST ONE capital letter in there somewhere. Anyone who can find it WITHOUT CHEATING, as in looking at reviews of people who found it, gets a shoutout and a box of virtual brownies. **

**Submit, guys! R&R and see ya next time!* **


	5. Hakuna Matata, Elsa

***So! I have come up with an Other school character, out of the blue, that I totally love, because of this chapter! But her name? That's something for me to know and you to wonder. She will not come to the Suburbs immediately. She will be arriving after Elsa.**

**Reviews: **

**Lyanah: You are welcome for the chappie! Oh, and you get the brownies! **

**yuli120501: I know right me too :) I have that planned for chapter six, don't worry, it's coming! **

**skyfireflight16: brownies for you too! Yeah, I do too, we'll have to wait and see what happens… **

**Guest: I KNOW RIGHT!? RAPUNZEL WOOOO! And thanks! **

**Part Five- Hakuna Matata **

a few days later, elsa was ready to meet rapunzel.

she was absolutely terrified.

what if rapunzel didn't like her? what if she found elsa weird?

at last, the long-awaited day arrived. elsa stood nervously by the door. the door-bell device rang, clear and pure, and she opened the door.

a girl was standing there. she had long, golden hair that went all the way to her waist. her bright green eyes, the color of spring buds, were even brighter than madison's. she had flawless skin and a bright, straight smile. she had a bag with her and was clutching a pillow.

"hi!" she said. "i'm rapunzel. nice to meet you!" she stuck out her hand, dropping her pillow. "oops."

elsa stared at it for a moment before accepting the shake. the suburbs had such odd customs. "elsa." she responded. rapunzel's hand was warm, but not in an uncomfortable way. "come in."

as rapunzel stepped inside, madison walked up. "hi, rapunzel! how are you?"

rapunzel responded, "i'm great, professor. where should i put my stuff?"

madison said, "you and elsa can go in the room with the flat-screen. it's two hallways down, take a right, and it's your third door on the left."

"thanks, professor greengrower!" said rapunzel cheerfully. "c'mon, elsa! let's go!" the two girls started to long walk.

"so," said rapunzel, "you're new here?"

"yes," responded elsa, slightly uncomfortable.

"i was born here. i have a lot of friends from arendelle, though. like kristoff! you'll love kristoff!"

kristoff? why did that name sound so familiar?

"oh, and adam. he's from there too. so is merida! we'll be such good friends, all of us!"

"okay." said elsa numbly. she was unused to so much chatter from one person. the last time she had heard it like that was before… no. she shook her head at herself. no thinking about it.

they eventually arrived at the room, after a few wrong turns. rapunzel plopped herself on the cushions, dropping her things on the floor. "aah. that's nice. so, what do you want to watch? i have charlie and the chocolate factory- that one's reeeeally old though. it's pre-arendelle, even. or lion king! how about lion king?" she said, pulling thin boxes from her bag.

elsa said, "i don't know. i've never seen a 'movie' before."

"no worries! we'll watch lion king then. it's one of my favorites." rapunzel walked over to the screen and popped the metal circle into a slit in the screen elsa hadn't seen before. the screen lit up, and elsa caught herself catching her breath. "woah."

rapunzel sighed. "i love this so much. how about we talk after the movie?"

"yeah."

they sat silently and watched the movie.

elsa watched, spellbound, as simba grew up. she watched him prancing around, singing about being king. she watched his father save him from the hyenas. she tried to block thoughts of her father.

she saw scar, mufasa's brother, trick the father and son. as the stampede scene played, elsa began to cry. especially when scar pushed mufasa, especially when simba went to mufasa afterward. _dad, wake up, _said simba. _we have to go home. _elsa continued to cry as she felt a set of arms wrap around her.

it was rapunzel. she was in silent hysterics. elsa hugged her back, which surprised her. they watched as scar told simba to flee, sobbing. movies were more emotional than elsa realized.

as simba ran away, rapunzel stopped crying. she drew herself up. "watch. everything mostly gets better from here."

elsa watched as simba met two animals named timon and pumbaa. they made her laugh so hard, she went into hysterics again. she looked over to see rapunzel in a fit too.

then the trio began to sing.

_hakuna matata, what a wonderful phrase _

_Hakuna matata, ain't no passing craze! _

_it means no worries! for the rest of your days _

_it's our problem-free _

_Philosophy _

_hakuna matata _

she swayed to the tune as rapunzel sang along. by the end of the song, elsa could sing along.

_it's our problem-free _

_philosophy _

_hakuna matata! _

_Hakuna matata! _

_hakuna matata! _

_hakuuuu-na mah-tah- TAH! _

the two girls settled down again and watched the rest of the movie smiling. They cheered as simba defeated scar.

as the names rolled, rapunzel looked over at elsa. "how was it?" she asked, grinning.

"it was great!" elsa exclaimed. She hadn't felt this cheerful or goofy in ages.

"i know, right?" exclaimed rapunzel back.

for the rest of the night, the girls told hilarious stories over a dish called "pizza". well, rapunzel did most of the talking, but they were both comfortable with that.

very, very late at night, they began to doze off. elsa was thinking about rapunzel. she was her first friend that wasn't… no, don't think about her, elsa. she wanted to share something with rapunzel, like how she had shared the lion king with her.

she rose from her cushion. "i'll be right back," she told rapunzel. rapunzel nodded and yawned.

she dashed upstairs to her room and gingerly took out the music device. she brought it back downstairs to rapunzel.

"what's that?" asked rapunzel, already big eyes wide.

"it's a music device." explained elsa. "it makes songs come to life. do you have those here?"

Rapunzel brightened. "yeah, we do. except we don't have things like these that record and replay them. can i hear one?"

elsa hit 'play' on her device after she put it on 'shuffle', whatever that meant. one of her favorite songs came on.

_one two three, take your hand and come with me 'cause you look so fine and I really wanna make you mine _

_four five six come on and get ya' kicks now ya don't need money with a face like that, now do ya honey? _

_big black boots _

_long blonde hair _

_she's so sweet, with her _

_get back stare! _

_and I can see, _

_you were with me, _

_until you with another maaaaaan! _

_i know we ain't got much to say _

_before I let you get awaaaay! _

_i said, are you gonna be my girl? _

Rapunzel next to her was dancing. elsa smiled. she had never listened to "are you gonna be my girl?" by 'jet' very much. it was too happy at most times. but now?

Now, though, the song was perfect.

That device of Elsa's was wonderful. By partway through, Elsa started to sing along. I stopped dancing to listen.

Her voice was _beautiful. _But if she had lived in Arendelle her entire life, where had she learned?

Once the song was over, I said, "Elsa, that was amazing! I didn't know you could sing like that! Where did you learn?"

Elsa's face reddened. "I was never taught. It just, I don't know, came out of me. Very quietly. It was another secret."

"You should join our school chorus! Every student has to do chorus or band anyway, unless you choose both. Almost nobody does that, anyway."

"I'm not sure if-"

"You would be great! Pleeease?" I give her puppy eyes.

Elsa winced at the eyes. She had a weakness for the eyes? I took a note of that.

Suddenly, Elsa fainted! Her gorgeous blue eyes swept to the right, and she went falling.

I dove under her right side. "Elsa? Elsa!" I yelled. "What on Earth?"

I laid her down on the floor. Her eyes were still looking off to the right. I anxiously buzzed around her. What should I do? What should I do?

My training kicked in. _Fainting usually comes from blood loss or head trauma, _I recited in my head. _Head trauma! What happened to her head? _

But there was no time to worry about that then. I wrapped some hair around her head like a bandage. Then, of course, I sang.

"_Flower, gleam and glow. _

_Let your power shine. _

_Make the clock reverse. _

_Bring back what once was mine. _

_Heal what has been hurt. _

_Change the Fate's design. _

_Save what has been lost. _

_Bring back what once was mine. _

_What once was, miiiiine." _

Elsa's eyes, frozen to her right, began to move again. She stood up. "Did I have an episode?"

"If you mean that you kind of, you know, fainted on the floor and scared me to death, then, yes." I rose beside her.

She winced. "Rapunzel, did Madison or Carter ever specify why we were to become friends?"

"No."

"You obviously have the healing talent. I have a long-lasting issue with my powers that causes me to, well, do what I did just now. We're the perfect duo. The sick and the doctor."

I understand immediately. "Well, good thing I like you. Good thing I don't care if this was set up. We can still be friends, right?"

Elsa's face brightened. "You still want to? I'll be such a burden."

"Of course I do," I said, wrapping my arms around her. She stiffened, then relaxed. She hugged me back. "But can I ask a question?"

"Yes."

"What happened to you? I need to make a diagnosis. I know that powers can be affected by events like death, or pain, so?-"

She cuts me off. "I don't want to lie to you. I've had my powers since I was small. I hid them for a long time, with the help of my parents. Then, in an accident, they died. I received this scar," she says, showing me a nasty rope on her right arm, "and amnesia of how it all happened. Though my parents died, and I pulled through without memory, my sister Anna survived it all. She never told me exactly what happened. We went off to a foster home. I became depressed. My foster parents forced pills down my throat along with food. My sister and I grew apart. As I was beginning to recover, her boyfriend Hans provoked me, and I was caught. In front of her. She said some terrible things, and I was rejected by her as family. I was sent here, and that's where it all continues. My powers stopped working about an hour after the rejection."

"Wow," I said quietly. She's lucky to be alive. We stay silent for a moment. "Can I see the scar again?" I asked.

"Sure," she said. I examined it. Ouch. It was pretty bad. She must be really strong to get that and be alive to tell the tale.

"I'll think about this. For now, I assume you won't be sharing your power with us yet, so whatever. All powers are fueled by the same thing. I'll work on it. Anyway, like I was saying earlier, one time Adam, that guy I told you about, got into a fight with Merida-"

For the rest of the night, I told Elsa all about school, the Suburbs life and lingo, and my friends that'll soon be hers, too.

And that night, though I didn't know it then, was the night I met one of the most powerful girls in the land.

That night, I met a survivor.

***OMG THIS WAS 5 PAGES ON GOOGLE DRIVE *fist pump* **

**Yay, now Rapunzel's in the picture! And because she narrated, there were capital letters! Woohoo! Did you also see Elsa used some caps too? **

**The main reason I chose Lion King? Because it's quite simply a classic. Plus, I love it :) **

**If anyone wanted to know what Elsa's flashback was that time, Rapunzel gave her puppy eyes. Anna did that quite a bit. From there on, you guys can choose what she dreamed about. **

**Anyway, submit!, review, all that jazz, 17headlines OUT!* **


	6. Pompeii

***Whew! Hakuna matata everyone, welcome back! **

**Reviews: **

**Guest: I know right! More of them to come! Ha, that is weird! **

**SnowQueen: Nah, it's okay. She may/may not, not telling yet. Yeah, I'm glad too :)**

**Iceleaf13: Ooo now I'm torn. I will decide, though, more likely sooner than later. I like that part too :)**

**NICOLAAAAAAAAAAAAAA: GOD NICOLA REALLY? YOU'RE MY BFF AND ALL BUT YOU DRIVE ME INSANE. I love you too, girl. **

**sorry guys, that was my friend, and friends drive each other insane, so… **

**You guys make me so HAPPEEE! You found me out! Yes, you will see Anna and Arendelle in future chapters! But not quite yet! **

**Nicola, this song's for you. You know which one it is. **

**Part Six: Pompeii**

elsa was nervous. elsa was nervous. elsa was nervous. elsa was nervous.

today was the first day of school.

elsa was nervous.

The past few days, elsa had spent lots more time with rapunzel. A lot of that time was spent shopping for new clothes and school supplies. more of that time was spent in her room.

rapunzel had been working on ways to distract her. ways to keep her from 'blackouts', as they called them. they had tried a few remedies, but only one had worked.

singing.

now, as elsa waited at the front door for rapunzel to pick her up, she hummed a tune. she gradually began to sing it under her breath.

_i was left to my own devices _

_many days fell away with nothing to show _

_and the walls kept tumbling down in the city that we love _

_great clouds roll over the hills bring darkness from above _

_but if you close your eyes, _

_does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?_

_but if you close your eyes, _

_does it almost feel like you've been here before? _

_how am i gonna be an optimist about this? _

_oh how am i gonna be an optimist about this? _

elsa smiled to herself. Lately, songs had been relating to her life quite well. this song was no exception.

_oh where do we begin? _

_the rubble or our sins? _

how did elsa untangle this mess? how did she forgive herself for ruining anna's life?

_oh where do we begin? _

_the rubble or our sins? _

_but if you close your eyes _

there was a knock at the front door. elsa opened it. it was rapunzel. she was grinning. "I heard you singing. pompeii by by bastille?"

elsa nodded. "it helps."

rapunzel gave her another grin. "Of course it does, silly! Sing as you walk to school!"

they stepped out the door and into the sunshine. "what?"

"You heard me! Sing," said Rapunzel. Elsa found that Rapunzel's cheer was bringing her out of her darkness, bit by bit. so were Madison and Carter. she sometimes felt like they were hoisting her out of a deep, dark hole that she had dug for herself.

rapunzel wasn't budging. elsa sighed. "Fine."

She began a different tune. An upbeat one that Rapunzel could sing along to.

( _Elsa= Italics, _**Rapunzel= Bold, **_**Both= Both) **_

_I'm gonna be a mighty king, _

_so enemies beware! _

Rapunzel grinned and sang the duet.

**I've never seen a king of beasts with quite so little hair! hmph!**

_I'm gonna be the mane event _

_like no king was before! _

_I'm brushing up on looking down! _

_I'm working on my __**ROAR!**_

Rapunzel joined in on the roar. The two laughed; I Just Can't Wait to be King was one of their favorite song from the Lion King. After Hakuna Matata, of course.

**Thus far, a rather uninspiring thing**_, _she sang.

_Oh I just can't wait to be king! _

The two sang together on their way to school. Elsa was so distracted, she forgot about where she was headed. For a while, anyway.

After a little while of walking, they duo arrived at the daunting Suburban High. it seemed to loom over elsa.

rapunzel dragged her in the doors. The two got many odd looks, but Elsa did her best to ignore them.

soon, they reached the lockers. Luckily, Elsa and Rapunzel's were just down the hall from each other. She grabbed her stuff; a few binders, some textbooks, a pencil case, among other things. Elsa had become more frail over the past few months than she had realized; this stuff was heavy!

Rapunzel came over. "Okay, our first class is math. It's just down the hall there," she said, gesturing. "Ready?"

Elsa nodded. She and Rapunzel had all the same classes together.

The math class they were in was at the end of a unit, so she jumped in there. The teacher there was called Gia Krispy, and had power of fire. Her hair was a reddish ginger, and she was of medium build. She was pretty snarky, too; she teased her students constantly. Especially a smart-aleck in the front row known as Eugene Genie. His hair was oddly… blue?

Second period was History. Her teacher there was called Charles Mcluskey. She had no idea what he could do, but he was really nice. She noticed he passed out these candies he called "Brain Pills" to other students as motivation. They were obviously candy.

Third period was Science with Dina Weave. Her hair was streaked with black, yellow and white. She didn't say it directly, but Elsa could tell she was a spinner. Rapunzel told her Mrs. Weave could spin straw into gold.

Fourth period was Private. She was told to go to Rapunzel's class for now, and she would be assigned a Private teacher later. Rapunzel seemed particularly excited for this class.

Inside was a slightly chubby-ish woman Rapunzel called Karla Sanar. She had dark hair and dark eyes. Her skin was a tan brown. Her lips were a pretty red.

"Yes, Rapunzel," said Mrs. Sanar, "let us begin. Who is this?"

"Mrs. Sanar, this is Elsa Marysdaughter. She is a new student to the Suburbs. She arrived last week. She has not yet shown her power to others, as it has been… ah… _disabled. _She is to stay here as she waits for her assigned Private Tutor._"_

elsa felt herself redden.

mrs. sanar studied her. "i see. well, I guess we will have a visitor this session. please sit," she said, gesturing to the chairs.

Elsa sat. This class would be interesting.

Elsa said, "Mrs. Sanar, Rapunzel has been working with me to help ease a formidable injury I acquired some months ago in an accident. Would you like to add your input?"

Mrs. Sanar grinned. "Sure. I haven't had a real patient in so long. Tell me everything."

Elsa cringed. She needed to put her past behind her.

So, she sucked it up, as Merida said, according to Rapunzel.

Mrs. Sanar gasped in all the right places. Then she took to her arm, seizing it. "This was caused by a tear, you say? A knife or something like that?"

Elsa nodded.

"It wasn't. This looks more like a scorch mark to me." She dragged Elsa over to Rapunzel. "See here, Rapunzel, how the skin puckers just so? The thickness?" What? But… she remembered… no, she didn't. That had been a bystander's account of the ordeal. So what had really happened?

Rapunzel studied it. "Yeah, I can see it. I just assumed it was a tear because of the story. But yeah. The veins bulge out like they're trying to escape, like they've been up out of the skin for too long to go back in."

Elsa felt queasy. This was her _arm _they were talking about. Plus, they were being pretty descriptive. She yanked her arm back.

"Finally, dear, what is your power? Or at the very least, can you guide me through the motions? I need to see exactly what goes wrong, and when."

Elsa froze. She was being asked, being told, to do something forbidden. _No, Elsa, it's not forbidden. Not here. _

Elsa nodded. She closed her eyes. She curled her fingers just so. She put her heart, her feelings, into it, and felt it begin to form in her hands. She wrapped her left hand around it, shielding the wisp from the elements. She let it build and grow, get bigger and bigger, as the healers watched.

Rapunzel breathed out. "Woah."

Elsa poised her hands, ready to blast the wisp into the room, when she felt something inside her sputter out. The wisp sucked back into her hands, making her head spin. She gasped with pain, agony, as she fell to her knees.

As she watched, unbeknownst to the healers, a scene from her past.

"_Elsa," said her father, "you must block your ice. Conceal it, don't feel it." _

_Young Elsa nodded. "Conceal, don't feel," she repeated. _

_Her father smiled. "Excellent." _

She jolted up with another gasp. "No!" she shouted. "No!"

"What?" asked a confused Rapunzel. She must have caught Elsa, because she was in her arms. "What was it this time?"

"Father- telling- me- to- keep- it- IN!" Elsa yelled, barely forcing it out. "he... he... NO!" She dissolved into tears.

Mrs. Sanar leaned in. "Hmmm. Rapunzel, continue as you usually do."

rapunzel continued to reassure her. "No, Elsa, a dream. That's all it was. A dream. Shhh, shhh." _But it's not a dream, _her mind whispered. _It wasn't, it isn't. That happened. _

Eventually, Elsa calmed herself. Mrs. Sanar said, "Elsa, this has been very helpful. You may sleep on that cot over there, or watch the rest of class. I will continue to work on this." She left Elsa on her cot and went over to Rapunzel.

Elsa chose the former.

She slept, the lyrics from earlier playing in her head.

_but if you close your eyes, _

_does it almost feel like nothing changed at all? _

Rapunzel shook her awake. "C'mon, Elsa, it's eleven hundred hours. It's time for lunch."

Elsa roused herself. "Mkay."

She gradually became more awake on the walk back to the lockers. The more awake she became, the more nervous she was.

"You'll love them," chattered Rapunzel. Elsa was numb.

The lunchroom doors arrived all too soon. Rapunzel pushed them open, revealing a loud lot of high schoolers inside.

Elsa was surprised. In Arendelle, lunch had been a silent affair. Another difference from her old life.

Rapunzel lead her over to a table. The two sat down.

"Hey, guys!" said Rapunzel.

"Girl! Where ya' been?" cried a girl with green skin. Wait. Green… skin? Was Elsa still experiencing hallucinations from Privates?

Rapunzel hugged her back. "I've been busy with Elsa here! We've become great friends!"

A boy with somehow familiar sandy hair spoke up. "Rapunzel, you'd become friends with the lunch ladies if you had the chance." He laughed.

Rapunzel looked indignant. "You're just jealous that I get extra desserts."

He looked stricken. "I was joking." The rest of the group shrieked with laughter.

After sending him one last glare, she turned to Elsa. "So! Elsa, this is Elphaba, Kristoff, Adam, Merida, and Jack. Guys, this is Elsa." She looked at the strange gathering of people.

Elphaba was the green-skinned girl. She had high arching eyebrows, metallic lips, and raven-colored hair. She gave Elsa a sarcastic smirk.

Adam was the boy sitting across from Elphaba. He had a medium build, dark hair, and piercing blue eyes. He gave Elsa a sympathetic smile.

Merida was sitting next to Adam. She had wild, curly red hair. By red, Elsa meant _red. _It raged untamed around Merida's head. Her skin was the typical redhead pale. Her eyes were even bluer than Adam's, but not as piercing. She nodded to Elsa. "Nice ta meet ya, lass," she said in a distinct accent.

Jack was across from Merida. His hair was a windswept white, and he, like Merida and Adam, had blue eyes. But his were much paler than the other two's. More like Elsa's. He had a snowflake dancing around his open-palmed hand. He glanced up at her, a small smile playing around his lips.

The last member of the group was Kristoff, the sandy-haired boy who had spoken earlier. His hair was too long was her first thought. His eyes were a warm brown. He was big and burly.

He looked familiar.

Elsa was next to Rapunzel, who was next to Elphaba. "Hi," she said quietly, "I'm Elsa."

The group nodded, looking at her expectantly. "Well?" demanded Elphaba.

Elsa shrank a little. "What?" she asked.

Jack gestured impatiently. "Why're you here? What can you do?"

"Oh," said Elsa. "I- I-"

Rapunzel saved her. "She hasn't been telling yet. She's holding on for a while."

Adam's eyes went wide. "You're not a Nobody, are you?" he asked.

"No, she's not a Nobody," argued Rapunzel. "She can do her stuff. They've just been, hmm, broken?" she looked at Elsa. Elsa nodded. "for the past while. We're working on it."

"Oh," sighed Jack. The group resumed their previous conversation. Elsa thought hard. _Kristoff, _she thought. _Kristoff. Where have I seen you before? _

A memory came to mind. Rapunzel, saying, _I have a lot of friends from Arendelle, though. Like Kristoff! You'll love Kristoff! _

Elsa looked at him with wide eyes. "You- you-"

"What?" Kristoff asked, perturbed. All eyes were on them now.

"I- I know you," she choked out.

Her last thought before she slipped into a blackout was,

_here? really? _

***WOAH SCHOOL IS IN SESSION! WHAT IS ELSA DREAMING ABOUT? YOU'LL HAVE TO READ THE NEXT CHAPTER TO FIND OUT! **

**Okay, I just want to tell you guys something. If I am late for whatever reason, it will be because I am busy writing the **_**next **_**chapter. I only publish chapters when the chapters after them are written and ready to go. Part Five took a while because I was busy writing all this. **

**Haha most of Elsa's day and teachers are based off my school days. I just replaced Spanish fourth period and the teacher's last names. **

**Question: Who is Eugene Genie? Anyone know what Mrs. Sanar means in Spanish? Anyway, I am still accepting a few submits! **

**To SnowQueen: Was Elphaba good? **

**See ya guys!* **

**my Dictionary: **

**a Nobody: Someone who is sent to the Suburbs because they have **_**no **_**powers. **


	7. Harmony

***Let's rock and roll, guys! **

**Reviews: **

**SnowQueen: Oooo, good idea! See, this is why I write the next chapter before I publish the previous one. Eugene Genie is not Eugene Fitzherbert; he was with Anna and Belle in the first chapter, remember? The key part of his name here is **_**Genie. **_

**yuli120501: Here you go! Flashback! **

**Part Seven: Harmony**

_Elsa was walking down a street. Her backpack was slung over one shoulder, and she was reading as she walked. She had a math final the next day. _

_She noticed a guy walking down the street. She recognized him from school. His name was Khris. _

_Elsa took a closer look at him. Were those animals around him supposed to be there? She counted a squirrel, a rabbit, a butterfly or two, a few bees, and a reindeer. She only recognized the reindeer from books. As she studied him, she noticed he seemed to be… talking? was that it? to the creatures around him. As she watched the odd scene, a rare Mobile drove up the street. A man got out of the passenger seat. He removed a piece of paper. Elsa dove behind a nearby bush in order to listen. _

"_You have been caught consulting with animals," the man read off the sheet. He was wearing a suit and some plastic things that blocked his eyes. "Speaking with animals is not an Arendellian Blessed skill. Please step into the car."_

_Khris eyed him warily. "Where would you take me?" He made a whistling sound with his mouth and a few snorts. Even a chirp. The animals stepped in front of him protectively. Elsa's eyes widened as she peered through the leaves of the bush. There were people who were different in power, too? Just like her? _

_The man responded calmly, "The Suburbs." Khris stiffened. Elsa shuddered at the mere thought of that place. The burly boy was much bigger than the man; he could take him down easily. But at what cost? _

_He dropped his shoulders. "Fine. I'll go." He made some more noises with his mouth, and the animals dispersed. "But I want to know one thing. Who ratted me out?" _

_The man leaned in close and said a word Elsa couldn't quite make out. He nodded grimly and climbed in. The car drove away, not leaving a trace of the events that had just occurred. _

_Elsa stood and brushed herself off. That's where you're going if you're ever found out, she told herself. Don't be like Khris. _

_That was the last anyone in Arendelle ever saw Khris Bjorgman. _

Elsa gasped and sat up. Rapunzel was singing her verse, as usual. She brushed the lock of hair off her head and turned scarlet. Everyone at the table was staring, as well as a few other tables.

Especially Kristoff. No, Khris. Wait. Elsa was confused.

Rapunzel helped her up. "You okay?" The room was spinning. "Give me a minute." Finally, she could see straight.

"So," said Khris/Kristoff uncomfortably, "you know me?"

Elsa cleared her throat. "Yes. I remember you from Arendelle. Why are you living under an alias?"

"What?"

"Rapunzel introduced you as Kristoff. Your name is Khris. I distinctly remember. You were one of the boys after A- Anna." She barely got her name out.

Elphaba laughed. "Oooo, she told you!"

"Yeah. Anna's pretty. But how would you know her?" Eyebrows all around the table were raised at the first statement.

"Khris, she was- I mean, is- my sister."

He snapped his fingers. "Oh! I remember you! You were a year older than her! My age! Funny, you two don't look alike."

Elsa narrowed her eyes. Elphaba said, "Gee, Kristoff, I wonder why. Hmm, the fact that she has a _different power, _a different core, wouldn't play into things, would it?" Her words were heavily woven with sarcasm. Elsa was beginning to take a liking to Elphaba.

Khris/Kristoff went an even deeper red. "Oh. Right. Hey, back then, we didn't know she was like us!" he rose to his defense.

The two bickered some before Elsa interrupted again. "Khris- er, Kristoff- why did you rename yourself? Khris Bjorgman was a perfectly fine name."

He sighed. "I was tired of being that person, okay? He was a shy loner. The guy who never gets the girl, the one who has been bullied a lot of his life. I wanted to start over."

Elsa sat there in shock as Elphaba began to clap. "Nice sob story, Kristoff," she said.

He glared at her. She stopped.

"So, Elsa," said Merida, "what's ye schedule for the rest o' the day? I want to see if we 'ave any classes togetha."

Elsa had memorized her schedule. "English, Physical Education, Chorus." she recited.

"Ooo!" Merida said. "I 'ave English with 'ya! Phys Ed too!"

Elphaba said, "I have Chorus with you." Hmm. That would be interesting.

It turned out, Elphaba, Jack, Adam, and Rapunzel were all in her chorus. The rest were in Band.

"So, Merida, what do you play?" she asked.

Merida grinned. "I play the French 'orn. Sometimes the trumpet. They'ya lovely, I tell ya. Plus, I'm an awful singer. Makin' wind go through the valves is an easy feat. For me, anyway. I 'ave the air tahlent." Woah. Elsa had never heard of that before.

"What about you, Khris? I mean, Kristoff."

"Oh. I, um, play in Band too. I'm pretty awful though. I'm a tenor saxophone player."

"Um, okay. Rapunzel's making me take Chorus."

Rapunzel said, "Do you have no self-esteem whatsoever? You're an amazing singer! I've heard you! Stop telling people that!" She elbowed Elsa lightly.

She hit a bulging vein spot. "Ow," she muttered. She rubbed her arm fiercely. That had really hurt.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean… I'm so clumsy!"

"Nah, it's okay. Shhh."

The rest of the table purposefully ignored this transaction. She was sure they all took note of it, however.

The group seemed to accept Elsa's presence after that. The conversation carried on once more. Elsa listened, but did not participate.

Eventually, the group got up from the table and scattered. "Where are we going?" Elsa asked Rapunzel.

"We have English next. We go to our lockers to get our things, and then head there."

Elsa felt foolish. "Oh."

When Elsa and Rapunzel arrived at English, a man was standing at the front of the room. Elsa stood around awkwardly until the bell rang and the teacher saw her.

"Ah," said the man, "you must be Elsa Marysdaughter. I'm Mr. Haan, your English teacher. You can sit in that spot next to Rapunzel there."

Rapunzel flashed her a pretty grin as she made her way over.

The man at the front of the room, Mr. Haan, began to speak. "Now, class, today we are discussing a topic you have never discussed before. One that you have probably wondered about, but never gotten answers."

The classroom filled with whispers. Merida, sitting on the other side of Elsa's table group, looked confused. Rapunzel's, however, were wide. The two boys at the table had different expressions. The first boy looked like Rapunzel, wide-eyed. The second looked mildly interested in what Mr. Haan was saying.

"The history of the Suburbs."

The whispers became louder.

"Pay close attention," said Mr. Haan. "I'll only be saying this once. Feel free to take notes."

Paper rustled around the room as students prepared to write. Elsa was one of the students who was taking notes; she didn't want to miss a thing.

"Afterwards, there will be a test."  
>Several students groaned, and considerably more took out paper.<p>

Mr. Haan began speaking. "Once upon a time, long, long ago, there lived a man. This man no longer had a name. It had been taken away from him on account of being Different from the Blessed, who had been around for years already. The man was not the first of the disowned. And he would not be the last.

"He was a powerful man, this person, with a rare ability even for the Different. He was a Tracer. As many of you already know, he could trace back actions, feelings, and even scenes of events by touching a single object. He learned of wars, and deaths, and births, all from a single touch.

"One day, out in the forest, he touched the trunk of a tree. An everyday touch. Without meaning to, he traced the tree's roots to a story.

"He never told anyone what he had learned from this tree. But he was so moved, so changed, that he decided to give the Different their own place in the world. Where they could live in peace and harmony among themselves."

Mr. Haan continued, telling how the man had built up the Suburbs, his successes, his failures. It was an incredible story. Mr. Haan was finished about fifteen minutes before the end of the period.

"Any questions?" asked Mr. Haan.

The boy on Merida's left raised his hand. "Yes, Dash?"

Dash was a smallish, lean boy. He had slicked-back blonde hair matched with pale blue eyes.

He smirked. "How did the man use the toilet out in the wild?" He snorted, along with a few other students. Merida gave her a look that said, _puh-leese. _Elsa nodded at her, rolling her eyes. She had to calm her racing heart. _You can do eye-rolls here, Elsa. They're allowed. _

Mr. Haan raised his eyebrows. "He didn't."

That shut Dash up. The class was hysterical with laughter.

Another girl raised her hand. "Why weren't we allowed to know this story?" she asked.

"Good question," responded Mr. Haan. "This story is one of our most sacred treasures, Delaney. It is the story of how we are here, even how some of us are alive. We guard it jealously."

Delaney nodded. "That makes sense," she said.

Elsa thought about that. If it weren't for the Suburbs, her friends Rapunzel, Elphaba, and Madison wouldn't be here. She suddenly had a new appreciation for it. It, as in civilization.

Mr. Haan said, "Tomorrow, there _will_ be a quiz! The day after that will be the follow-up story, on how we are here today in this state, known by Arendellians. Let's see… three… two… one…"

The bell rang, and the class stampeded through the doors.

Her next class was Physical Education. Elsa got through the class with no problems.

Except for her arm.

"Miss Marysdaughter," said Mrs. Lean, "your arm is a problem. Until that- _thing_- is healed, I request you stay out of activities that involve strenuous arm strength. If you feel any pain in your arm, please feel free to sit out."

Elsa smiled. "Thank you, Mrs. Lean," she said. Suburbians, it seemed, were very open and understanding. She hadn't met a single irascible one yet- except for maybe Dash. That kid was annoying.

After that was Chorus, last class of the day. The teacher there was Mr. Opus. He was a bald man with a large birthmark on his face. He was strumming a stringed instrument in his hand as the class walked in.

The bell rang. "All right, guys," said Mr. Opus, "our last project just ended. I have to say, I was getting sick of opera."

The class tittered. Elsa looked around and saw Elphaba a few seats down, Jack in the back of the room, Adam off to her left, and of course Rapunzel right next to her.

"Our next project is on something very personal to us," said Mr. Opus. "As you all know, I have a rather… _enchanting _voice. It is my absolute specialty. Miss Corona here really likes plants, Miss Elphaba enjoys brooms, Mister Peter here likes to fly…"

_Uh oh, _thought Elsa.

"Our next project is to write songs about our talents. They're due in a month, and you will each perform them in the Winter Festival, right before the holidays. You guys happen to be my favorite class, so you guys will be the only Chorus class to perform separately. The others will perform together, as an entire chorus, one per class. Mr. Cee-Sharp will choose his class, and so will Mrs. Violana, and they will also have their groups perform. You can have other classmates sing backups, but every person here has to have a lead. Every person will also do a demonstration of powers during the song."

Mr. Opus let the class discuss for a few minutes. Elsa didn't talk to anyone; she felt sick. How was she supposed to demonstrate with this useless arm?

Mr. Opus said, "Elsa Marysdaughter , will you come here, please?"

Elsa gladly went. Anything to escape the discussions.

He strummed the instrument as he spoke. "Elsa, I know you're new to this class. You don't know how to read music, do you?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"Okay. We'll have some after-school lessons then, and I'll teach you some songwriting too. I want you to know, I still expect you to complete this project. You just have to worry about learning the music right now. Do you have any questions?"

"I have an issue with my powers at the moment. My gathering hand has been injured badly, and I've been experiencing emotional stress. How should I go about the display, then?"

He frowned. "If your powers are fully working by the concert, then you should perform them. I'll help you do some choreography, just in case. If they aren't, we'll come up with a plan. You seem like a nice girl, Elsa. I want this to go well for especially you. I want to see how this turns out. Nice meeting you, Elsa, and now, does after school tomorrow work?"

She nodded. "Okay, then. I'll see you tomorrow then!" he said.

She headed back to her seat, slightly dumbfounded. Reading music? Songwriting? Choreography? What?

Mr Opus stood up again. "You have the rest of the period to brainstorm."

The chatter levels increased dramatically. Rapunzel turned to her as she sat down. "I have an idea for my song. I'll do it about my plant talent, instead of healing. Healing makes bad displays anyway. Would you work on it with me?"

Elsa was shocked. "You've only known me for a few days. Why would you choose me?"

Rapunzel laughed. "You're my friend. You can do low harmonies, and I'll have Elphaba do the other octave. You can sing together on the chorus."

Elsa blinked. She had expected a much harder time being accepted in the Suburbs. She had thankfully been wrong.

"And I can help you with yours! Did Mr. Opus offer after-school lessons? I technically have to come, but I don't have to, even though I should come, but I'll come anyway. It'll be so much fun!" she squealed.

Elsa pressed her hands to her head. The room was spinning. Rapunzel and Anna squealed _exactly _alike_… no, Elsa, no, not again… _she told herself. _You've already done it twice today. _

She pushed back the nausea. "Okay," she managed.

"Yay!" shouted Rapunzel. She hugged her. Harmonies? What were those? What had she just agreed to? Her head hurt.

The rest of the period passed by in a blur. The bell rang, and Elsa and Rapunzel went back to their lockers. They gathered their stuff and went home.

When Elsa arrived back, an extreme headache making her eyes water, Madison was there to greet her. "Hi, Elsa! How was school?" she asked.

"My… head… hurts," managed Elsa. She pressed her hand to her forehead. Unfortunately, it was her right hand. "Ow!" That arm, she swore…

Woah. Rapunzel was making her feisty. Not as quite a feisty-pants as her, but she was getting there.

"Ouch! A migraine?" asked Madison sympathetically. "Lie down in your room and I'll get you some medicine. You can sleep, then do your homework." Elsa didn't know what a migraine was, but bed sounded nice.

As Elsa laid in her bed upstairs, she thought of Anna. Not the fight, or anything. She wondered how Anna was now. Where was Anna? she wondered. As Madison came up the stairs, she thought,

_Anna, forgive me, wherever you are. _

***Okay! Good place to end that. Speaking of which, where is Anna? Wouldn't you like to know? Alas, not telling… 'till next chapter! Mwahahahaha! **

**Anyone know who Dash and Delaney are? I'm giving brownie points if you get Delaney. Dash, well, I'm pretty sure we all know him. **

**I'm sorry this took so long. I was away this weekend, plus I had difficulty writing the next chapter… I seriously cried when I read my next chapter. Yes, I did. **

**Just for clarification, Mr. Cee-Sharp is the Band teacher. Mrs. Violana is Orchestra. Yeah, they're the same thing, but my school thinks they're different, so I split them. My school is weird. **

**I know the English story seemed unnecessary, but you wait and see! sharp! haha! **

**Well, that's the end of submitting, so don't do that unless the character is REALLY good. Remember, I accept non-Disney! **

**Well, see ya!* **


	8. Some Days Ago

***Okay! **

**Reviews: **

**SnowQueen: Oh I'm so happy you like it :) And, to the list: yes, I didn't even think of that so probably, and no. And again, I didn't even think of her! THANK YOU SO MUCH**

**Part 8: Some Days Ago **

Anna didn't know whether to be angry, horrified, or heartbroken. Her sister had just been discovered keeping a huge secret from the world- including her.

She ran down the halls. She had to get away from Elsa. Or whoever that girl was. Anna didn't know her anymore; now, she realized, she never had.

She burst out the doors. The fresh air had always felt so refreshing to Anna. Now, she felt like she was choking on it. She kept running, though. Her friends ran after her.

She ran until she was out of breath. She finally looked up to see where she was. She was at her old elementary school, Young Blessed Elementary. Her friends were nowhere in sight.

School was out for the day. All the children had gone home, the cold wind driving them into the warmth of their homes. Anna shivered. She hated the cold.

She sat down on a swing. Tears began to come down, hot and fresh, freezing to her cheeks. She remembered Elsa and her, when they were little. They had been so close. Then, a few months ago, Elsa had shut her out, leaving her alone to her grief. She knew Elsa had been hurting too, but she could have let her in. Now she thought, _is this why? Is this why I was left, orphaned, sisterless? _

Anna had none of her original family left now. She knew Elsa would be sent away to the Suburbs, and would probably die there. Unless she became a leader there, which Anna knew would probably not happen. As much as she hated to admit it, Elsa was a cripple. She would very likely die in the Suburbs, if the rumors were true.

She had to face it; she had no family. They were all gone, a not-so distant past. She began to cry harder. _You still have Mary and Seth, _she reminded herself. _At least you have someone. _

Belle and Flynn came puffing up. Well, Belle came puffing a bit more than Flynn, but her friends were very fit. Their cheeks were stained red from the November chill. "I'm sorry, Anna," said Belle very quietly. Flynn came and sat on the swing next to her.

Belle was a pretty brown-haired, brown-eyed girl. She was Anna's age, and one of her closest friends.

Flynn was a sarcastic guy. He was Elsa's year, but he was a part of her friendship group. He was brown-haired and -eyed like Belle, but unlike her, he always seemed to be wearing a smirk. All times, it seemed, except for now.

Anna wiped her eyes. "It's-s o-o-kay-y," she chattered through her teeth. The tears were like icicles on her face. It was a cold day for November.

"No, it isn't," Belle and Flynn said in unison. Belle came over and hugged her. "Come on, Anna. Let's go to my house. We'll have some warm milk by a fire. We can do our school-work there. Flynn, would you get her bags from the school?"

Flynn looked indignant for a moment, then remembered the situation. "Okay," he said, and jogged off back to Elsa. No, the school.

Hans passed by Flynn. He was huffing and puffing so hard he could blow down a house. "I'm… here… for… you… Anna," he wheezed. He bent over, breathing heavily. He outstretched his arms. "Hug?" he gasped.

Anna almost laughed. He looked so pathetic. Sadness weighed down on her laugh, though, making it sound like an odd cough. Her lips refused to smile.

She accepted the hug. He was hot with sweat, but Anna didn't mind. He was warm. Unlike Elsa. She started to cry again.

"Shh," Hans said, patting her hair. She only cried harder. Elsa had caressed her that way once…

_No, Anna. Stop. She's in the past now. Leave the past in the past. _

She calmed down. She was too tired to keep crying. The day had started out so nicely. How had it taken this turn? She had aced a pop quiz. She had gotten a rare treat in her lunch. She had been so happy.

Hans picked her up, bridal-style, and began walking. Belle followed them. She was sleepy. So sleepy.

"I'm sorry my sister attacked you," Anna sleep-mumbled in his arms.

"Shhh. It's okay," he responded.

Gradually, that was where Anna fell asleep. There, in her dreams, she found refuge from her troubles.

There, Anna was safe.

{Hans}

Hans grinned at her, asleep in his cradle. He then noticed Belle following him closely.

"I've got her. You can leave now," he told her.

She looked troubled. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes," he told her. Uncertain, she began walking in the opposite direction, towards the school.

_Good, _he thought. _Now I can start. _

Hans carried her back to her house. He dropped her in her bed, laughing when she didn't even stir. She'd had a hard day. All thanks to him.

As he had predicted, her foster parents Mary and Seth were not home, very likely off being questioned at the school. He walked downstairs, to the meager medicinal cupboard. He opened it and found some sedatives inside. _Hmm, _thought Hans. _Seth is a doctor, but why would he bring home strong medicines? _He would have to investigate that later.

He walked back up the steps towards a sleeping Anna. She was still breathing heavily. He poured the entire bottle down her throat. It should keep her deeply asleep for a while.

He had brought a sharp knife back from the kitchen with him. He began to work Anna over. She had to believe these injuries were inflicted by Elsa, or else this would never work.

He started by giving her some nice bruises. Upper arms, torso, some small ones on the legs, face. Everywhere, to make it look like she had been knocked about by an evil Elsa.

He wielded the knife with finesse. He carved the gashes neatly around just the right spots to make it look real. Her blood splattered everywhere. He cut some gashes deeper than others, including one on the outer rim of her face. Clean, to make it look like cuts from sharp icicles.

When he was done, he mussed her hair, tore her clothes up with his knife, and smeared some blood on himself. He washed the knife and put it away. He waited for Anna to wake up.

An hour later, she arose. "Ahh," she said, wincing. "What happened? I don't remember anything. I remember leaving English, my last class, then… nothing."

Hans smiled inside. The medicine had caused a memory lapse? Oh, this was too perfect.

On the outside, he arranged his face into an expression of distress. "Anna," he began, making himself sound upset, "there was another accident."

Her brow furrowed. She winced again; he had put a scrape there. "Like what? Where's Elsa?"

"Anna, you were attacked. By Elsa."

She looked shocked. "No. That can't be true. It can't." But it sounded more like a question than a statement.

"It is, Anna. She attacked you in a hallway after school with those things called _ice _and _snow. _She is to be shipped off to a Suburban prison tomorrow morning."

Anna started to cry. "S-s-she wouldn't-t!"

"But she did. You were severely injured by her magics. Her specific words to you were, 'we are sisters no longer', and 'I have never trusted in you'."

Anna was sobbing. "But we have- the-the-" she bursted into a fresh round of waterworks.

He patted her back, making sure to hit the spots "Elsa" had hit her. She arched away from him, aggravating several more. She cried out again.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!"

She shook her head. "It's okay. You didn't know."

Or did he?

After a few minutes, Anna was at the beginnings of calming down and the beginnings of turning into an angry tornado. It was too soon for that. She had to stay in the "upset" stage for at least the rest of the night.

"The what?" Hans asked quietly.

"The-the- the ribbon-" A few more tears rolled down her cheek.

He waited patiently as she bent over, painfully, to reach her ankle. She pulled it up towards her, with lots of groaning, to show him a pale blue ribbon wrapped around her calf.

"We made each other a promise," she continued, "to always be together, to always be sisters. But that promise is broken now," said Anna. She started tugging at her anklet. "It's been _ripped _to _shreds _and I want the ribbon _gone _Hans, she broke our _promise-" _With that, she began yanking the ribbon.

"Be quiet, feisty-pants. I'll untie it." said Hans, and he untied the ribbon. He stashed it in his pocket.

For safekeeping.

Anna sighed and flopped back onto her pillow, disregarding the pain that came with it. She looked drowsy again. "Hans," she mumbled.

"Yes?" he asked quietly. He needed this moment to go perfectly, or else the entire plan might be ruined.

"Will you always be there for me?"

He smiled.

"Yes, Anna. Yes I will."

***HANS HOW COULD YOU YOU DON'T EVEN LOVE HER DO YOU **

**Okay. Relaxing. Ree-laaax. **

**NO I WON'T **

**Okay. Done now. **

**Question: what do you think will happen next? **

**Well, see you guys!* **


	9. The Boy In The Window

***Welcome back! **

**Reviews: **

**Part Nine: **

Anna sighed. It was a nice day out, for November. She had school off for the next few days and a plan.

She told Mary and Seth she was at Belle's house doing home-work. And she was, until she snuck out the window.

Belle helped her step to the ground from her window. "Will you be okay?" she asked concernedly.

Anna rolled her eyes. "I will be fine, Belle. I will return by dusk."

Belle looked worried as she said, "Okay." She disappeared from view.

Anna snuck around the back of the house, avoiding windows. She slipped in and out of many family's back areas until she reached her destination.

The end of Arendelle.

Anna took a deep breath. There was no turning back. Well, there was, but she couldn't give up now. Hans was depending on her.

After taking a look around her, she sprinted down the road, out of sight.

As she got farther and farther from home, she slowed her pace. The walk would take a while. Anna began to think about the past few days.

When Seth, Mary and Elsa returned, they found Anna and Hans by her bed. Anna had been asleep. The foster parents had showed no reaction, but Elsa had. She had looked horrified. Almost as if she hadn't done it. Which was quite silly, really. Hans would never lie to her.

She had spent the few days after that recovering in the bed down the hall. She had refused to share quarters with the Different who had tried to murder her.

She had gone back to school a few days later, holding her head up high. She had heard the whispers. She knew the entire school had found out what had happened. She knew they all had looked down on her. She didn't care. _She didn't care. _

Eventually the whispers had died down, after a few days. And now they were gone, thanks to this week's end.

It was supposed to be for some kind of holiday, one celebrated for hundreds of years, even pre-Arendelle. The meaning of the holiday had long been lost. All they knew was it was called "Thank's giving" .

Anna imagined her ancestors eating foods she could not picture. She envisioned nameless people laughing together, celebrating an unknown holiday. She thought of her family doing it all together.

She sighed. Her mother was gone. Her father was gone. Her sister was dead to her. All she had left were Mary, Seth and Hans.

Oh, Hans. He was a godsend. He had stuck close to her since the incident. He was the one who had convinced her to do this.

She stopped her mind from daydreaming. Hans was wonderful, yes, but she had a mission. How was she supposed to find and spy on one Different in an entire forest?

Back in Arendelle, Hans grinned. His plan was going so well. Anna hated her sister and all like them with the beginnings of a burning obsession that was to be almost stronger than his. And now, now that they finally had these days off, for this "Thank's Giving" holiday, Anna had readily agreed to go to the Suburbs, find Elsa, and spy. He needed more information for his plan.

Hans laughed to himself. Anna was so naive. He had broken her so well at the beginning, she desperately needed someone she could trust. He had been there, waiting for her with open arms. She had run to them without looking back.

Of course, it was hard to look back when you didn't remember the past.

If only she knew it was herself who had told Elsa they weren't sisters, instead of the other way around.

_If only she knew. _

After walking along the road for some twenty minutes, Anna arrived upon a town.

A large, sprawling, luxurious town.

Anna was confused. Why had Arendelle never told the other Blessed of this town? For all Arendelle knew, these could be invaders preparing to attack.

She walked down a sidewalk. Other people were walking about. Many smiled at her and tipped their hats. She shrank away from the greetings, alarmed.

Finally, she happened upon a large building. She read the writing on the sign out front: _Suburbia High for Differents. _Wait a minute… this was the Suburbs? A million thoughts started racing through her mind.

_This is the Suburbs? But this is a _town, _not an uncivilized forest of animals! _

_Where did they get all these Perishables? _

_If there are people living in this town… if people have been moving here when they are discovered… is Elsa still alive? _

_Does Arendelle know? _

_Wait… _

Elsa could be _alive. _

She had to find her.

She ran through the streets. She looked, sensed for, a certain coldthat she had only realized was there when it left. The cold that had always radiated from Elsa.

She sensed it almost immediately. A wind pushed against her from the school, sweeping from a window.

She crawled up to the window. More cold gusts blew from it as she peeked inside.

In the room was a boy and a tall woman. The boy had white, spiked hair. He was wearing a blue garment with a hood and a front pouch, decorated with snowflakes. His eyes were the same color as Elsa's.

The woman was wearing a beautiful navy dress, the color of _her _eyes. It reached her ankles, and a glittering pale band was wrapped around her wrist. Her hair was a dark brown, the color of fresh mud.

"Push harder," she was saying. "Harder!"

The boy's face was strained. "I'm- trying-" he grunted. His hands were out in front of him.

"Ice is not hard, Jack! Ice is water. Imagine it as water, flowing from your hands."

His face immediately relaxed, and an icicle began flowing from his hands. It stopped when it hit the ground.

The woman's face was excited. "That was wonderful, Jack! It seems snow is your primary ability. With work, we just might be able to make ice become your secondary."

Anna's mind was once again spinning. People here were being trained. To use their thing that makes them outcasts. It was forbidden. Her mind jumped to an immediate conclusion: They were building an army.

An army to destroy Arendelle.

The more she thought about it, the likelier it seemed. Why wouldn't they want to kill the people who had outcast them?

Terrified, she ran the entire way home.

Hans stroked his chin. "Thank you, Anna. This is useful information. Elsa wasn't even needed."

Anna nodded, panting heavily. "What… are… we… going… to… do?" she wheezed.

Hans lifted up her chin. "Don't worry, Anna. I've got a plan."

***Now we're going back to the present: fast-forward! This entire scene, and the recovery, was all a few days from their present time. Now, we're almost back on track. **

**So! R&R, and see ya next time!* **

**my Dictionary: **

**Perishables: items not allowed to have in Arendelle because they are too valuable for citizens **


	10. Jack's Role

***Hello!***

**Reviews: **

**yuli120501: Yeah, I feel you, cursing in Spanish is pretty fun. Of course we don't like him, he's one of Disney's evillest villains of all time! That's why we love him!**

**RavenQueenFan2605: Welcome to the club! And also… wait and see *laughs evilly* **

**Iceleaf13: Hans told Anna Elsa attacked her, trying to murder her. **

**SnowQueen: This made me laugh so hard. Calm down, feisty. **

**Part Ten: Jack's Lightbulb**

Elsa and Rapunzel almost had to run to Privates to get there on time. Mrs. Weave had held them until after the bell- as usual.

They burst into the classroom just as the bell rang. Elsa collapsed on a couch, giggling. Rapunzel dropped her stuff on the floor and pretended to faint, landing next to Elsa with a _thump!_ They both giggled harder.

Wow. Elsa had really opened up the past week. She had gotten there… two weeks ago? Now, She fit in seamlessly. Rapunzel was proud of her.

"Okay, girls," said Mrs. Sanar, walking over, "Let's begin with a checkup. Elsa, come on over."

Elsa gracefully lifted herself from the couch, still smiling, and held out her arm for examination.

Mrs. Sanar ran a light finger over her popped-out vein, tracing the pattern. "It looks much better than yesterday. What activities do you do when you're not in here?"

"After-school Chorus lessons, homework."

"Ah. You're supposed to do a display at the concert, right?"

"Right. Mr. Opus is hoping for me to be in working order by then."

"I see. After school, can you tell Mr. Opus to come to my room instead? You two too. I have an idea- we'll try something."

Elsa responded, "Okay."

Mrs. Sanar beckoned Rapunzel over. "C'mon, Rapunzel, we have work to do for after school."

Elsa looked confused, but took out a book.

Mrs. Sanar quietly told her what we were to do, and she left the room. She called Elsa over, said something to her, but by then Rapunzel was long gone.

She arrived at Jack's Private in a matter of minutes. "Do you mind if I speak with Jack for a few minutes?" she asked Mrs. Blizzard, his Private teacher.

"Of course. Let me excuse myself-"

"It's okay, Mrs. Blizzard. You can hear it too." She said.

Jack casted her a confused look. She started to talk.

"You know Elsa Marysdaughter, right? She sits at our lunch table? Anyway, she hasn't been telling her talent yet, right? That's because it's not working. She had an incident a long time ago, and the accident finally caught up with her a few weeks ago. Today after school, we're going to try to get them back. Mrs. Sanar's room. Will you guys be there?"

Now both Jack and Mrs. Blizzard look confused. "What does this have to do with us?" Mrs. Blizzard asked.

"Her talent," I said, "is ice and snow."

Mrs. Blizzard looked happy. "A new student, then, if all goes well?"

She nodded, and Mrs. Blizzard broke into a smile.

Jack looked thoughtful. "I'll have to tell Amanda and Stevenson, then, but I'm pretty sure I can be there."

Rapunzel grinned. "Great!" She said. Amanda and Stevenson, Jack's fostors, were really lenient. He would probably show up. "See you then!" Rapunzel yelled, and ran back to Mrs. Sanar's.

When she arrived back, Elsa was wide-eyed. "You really think I'm ready?" she asked as Rapunzel came back into the room.

Rapunzel nodded at her, breathing a bit heavier than usual. "Of course I do. You're Elsa Marysdaughter, for heaven's sake! You can do anything!" Rapunzel wrapped her in a hug.

She relaxed in her arms. "Thanks, Rapunzel. I couldn't have done any of this without you."

"Well, of course not! Who else is like me?" Rapunzel said, grinning.

Elsa grinned back. "Nobody."

Mrs. Sanar broke in. "Elsa, we need to get you prepped." she said.

Elsa nodded as she broke away. "Of course," she said.

Mrs. Sanar laid Elsa down on a cot. "You need to mentally prepare yourself first," she said, gesturing to Rapunzel. "Just do what we say, and everything should work."

{Jack}

Rapunzel and Elsa were absent at lunch. Jack saw the others casting looks around the table at their absence, and he smiled inside. It felt good to be in on a secret.

Jack snuck out his phone during lunch and texted Amanda.

{Jack} _Hey, I have a thing after school today. Can i stay? _

{Amanda} _Sure, sweetie. What time will u b home?_

{Jack} _No idea. May take a while. _

Amanda} _OK. Text me when u need a ride. _

Jack smiled on the outside. Amanda was the best. So was Stevenson.

Jack had been brought to the Suburbs when he was a baby. It had kind of been obvious he wasn't like them when there were little snowflakes floating around his crib. He didn't miss Arendelle at all, though. He didn't remember a thing- not even his family. He didn't need them, though- he had Amanda, Stevenson, and Emma, their daughter, his sister. He was fine with his life now.

Neither of them were present at English or Gym, according to Merida. And they definitely weren't at Chorus.

Speaking of Chorus, Mr. Opus looked rather anxious. He was in on it. He was so nervous, he gave them the entire period for their Winter Festival songs.

Jack worked diligently for the period, then headed straight to Mrs. Sanar's room. There, he found the three ready to go.

Elsa was on her back on a cot. Rapunzel was sitting in a chair, doing homework. Mrs. Sanar was at her desk, grading papers. She looked up as Jack came in.

"Take a seat, Jack. We'll get started when Mr. Opus and Mrs. Blizzard get here." She said, gesturing around the room. He took a seat next to Rapunzel. "So, what the heck are we doing?"

She responded, "We've basically hypnotized her, an old Pre-Arendelle technique. It hasn't been used in ages, but we think it'll work. We just reprogrammed her brain with a pocket-watch after she gave us the go, but it only halfway worked, so we did some more things. When she wakes up, she should be fully working again. Before we come back in, she won't remember there was ever anything wrong."

Jack had no idea what hypnotizing was, but he had faith. "Okay."

A few minutes later, the teachers walked in together. "Let's go," said Mrs. Blizzard.

Rapunzel, Mrs. Sanar, Mr. Opus and Jack walked out of the room. She apparently couldn't see anyone familiar to her, so only Mrs. Blizzard could be there when she woke up.

everyone pressed their ears to the door to listen. Or, well, Rapunzel and Jack did.

{Inside}

"Wake up, Elsa," said , shaking her shoulder lightly.

Elsa stirred and sat up. "What happened?" she asked, stretching her arms.

Mrs. Blizzard said, "We were about to begin power display. I need to see your abilities. Can you start with some flurries?"

Elsa seemingly remembered it all. "Oh, right." She waved her hand, and flurries drifted around the room.

"What can you do with ice?" asked .

Elsa gave a demonstration. By the end, Mrs. Blizzard was holding her breath at all the glittering ice. It was beautiful. She had seen all kinds of ice in the Suburbs, but Elsa's ice was something special.

Mrs. Blizzard beckoned to the people waiting outside the door, and they burst in, smiling.

{Jack}

"Elsa," he said, taking her by the hand, "you did it!"

"Did what?" asked Elsa, confused.

Rapunzel was cheering. "It worked!" she yelled. "It's back!"

"What's back?" asked Elsa again.

"Your powers!" yelled Rapunzel. "Woohoo!"

"Elsa," Mrs. Sanar said, "your powers were gone, remember?"

"Yes," said Elsa slowly. "Then how come-"

"You're CURED, silly!" said Rapunzel. She then proceeded to hug her.

"I- I remember now!" gasped Elsa. "It worked! See!" She gestured around the room.

Mrs. Blizzard told her, grinning, "We'll start lessons immediately tomorrow."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

Now it was time for Jack's role. "Elsa," he said, "you're not alone. I'm like you."

"Is that your talent?"

"Yeah. See?" he said, and waved his hand. More snowflakes began drifting around the room. Rapunzel, Mrs. Sanar and Mr. Opus's teeth began chattering. Elsa laughed. "This is just so _wonderful_," and began to cry. He hugged her, uncertain of what else to do. Elsa surprisingly hugged him back.

Mr. Opus stepped forward and said, "Now, Elsa, how 'bout we call your folks over?"

Elsa nodded, still weeping on Jack's shoulder. Jack didn't mind. Now, he wasn't alone, either. Plus, Elsa seemed familiar to him. He wasn't sure how yet. He would figure it out.

When Elsa's fostors came over, they stepped into the room with an expression of utter wonder and delight. "Woah," the woman breathed. They spotted Elsa then, still crying on Jack.

"Elsa," said the woman as the two ran over, "are you okay?"

She nodded. "I'm fine," she choked out. "Just happy."

The man looked around, putting the pieces together. "Elsa," he said slowly, "did you do this?"

She nodded again, tears coming down harder. The woman opened her arms to Elsa. "Come here, Elsa. We're so proud," she said. Elsa rushed from Jack to the woman. Jack felt a momentary loss.

A million thoughts ran through his head as the new family hugged. He didn't _like_ her, he knew that. For sure. So why had it felt so good when they had hugged? So right? He had never met Elsa until a few weeks ago, and this was one of the first times they had really spoken. It was because they had almost the same core. Yes, that was it. Jack tried to convince himself, but it didn't work. He knew that was not why he felt like that.

Jack didn't like unsolved mysteries. He knew he had to solve this one.

Mrs. Sanar walked up to Elsa's family. "Madison, Carter, Elsa," she said. "You need to know. Elsa may still be prone to her blackouts every once in a while. If her abilities have any problems, and I mean _any, _come see me immediately. Got it?" She smiled. "You can all leave now."

On their way out, Elsa turned back to face Jack. "Thanks," she said. "For everything."

He nodded. "Any time." And he meant it.

He watched as Elsa, this mystery girl, walked out the door with her family- Madison, Carter, and Rapunzel.

A lightbulb hit him. He had it. He knew how he knew. Now, he just needed proof.

But how to get it?

***Well! How was the Jack POV? **

**Next up: back to Anna!***


	11. Love, Idun

***Hey guys! This one is a little short.***

**Reviews: **

**RavenQueenFan2605: Me likey :) I'm kinda sick of Jelsa too, I mean, can Elsa just **_**not **_**have any romantic relationships? Hanna, well, at this moment, yes. I'm not getting super-detailed in the relationship as of right now. I'm glad you like it, and… wait… what was that last part again? **

**SnowQueen: How do you know these things? Ah, well, this chapter will tell all for everyone else. Pairings right now are Hanna, and that's it because if you haven't noticed all of the pairings are in different schools right now… think RapunzelxFlynn, AdamxBelle. At the moment, they're separated. **

**Part 11- Love, Idun**

Anna needed to cool off. She had nearly exploded at Hans. It hadn't been his fault, even. She had asked for a full account of what happened those weeks ago, and now she was seething. She went to take a walk.

She didn't really know where she was going, and she didn't really care. She walked briskly as her feet took her down the road.

After a while, she looked up, just to check that she knew where she was going. As soon as her eyes hit the house, she stopped.

She knew that house.

It was her house.

She walked up the stone pathway to the house. It was identical to all the others, any outside observer would see. But to Anna, it stood out. She found the key buried in the pot of the wilting fern. With dirt-black hands, she unlocked her house with a small _click. _

She pushed the door open to see the inside of her old house, identical to how she and Elsa had left it last April. A fine layer of dust coated the furniture.

Anna walked through her kitchen, the living room, even the bathroom. Just… remembering. She touched their old things. She touched the frying pans, the pillows on the chairs, the bathroom sink faucet. She fondly remembered the memories they held.

After she had seen all the rooms on the first floor, Anna forced herself up to the second. She went into her old room first.

Like all the other rooms, dust was everywhere. She traced a broken heart on Elsa's old bedspread, one of the things they had not taken to Mary and Seth's. Her eyes watered up, but she forced the waters back down.

She sat on the bed, then laid down. She looked at the stars her father had painted on the ceiling when they were little. They were faded now. She missed the days when everything had been simple, when everything was all right.

She walked over to the desk they had shared. All the old photos that had once rested there were gone, taken by them all those months ago. Gosh, it felt like years.

She walked out of the old bedroom, mentally preparing herself for her next destination: her parent's room.

It looked like it always had. Pictures were missing, and a few valuable pieces of jewelry that had belonged to her mother, but everything else was still in place. Waiting for the older Summers to come back. But they weren't coming. They were gone. She pushed back the tears.

Anna walked over to her mother's night-table. The water glass was empty now. The lamp was unlit. An old leather book was laying on top, a faded red ribbon peeking from the pages.

_Huh. _Anna had never seen it before. Or had she? She could recall her mother with it, writing in it, a few times. Not many, but a few. This must be her journal.

Anna cracked open the pages. She decided to read backwards, because she would remember the most recent events better. She began to read.

_April 10, - _

_Idun Summer's Journal _

_10:43 am _

_Today is a nice, peaceful day. Adgar is down the stairs, making breakfast. Anna and Elsa are in their room. Sunlight filters through the window. It is a bright day, warm for April. It makes me excited. Summer is coming, finally! It has been a long winter. I even let the girls open the window. _

_There is screaming from their room. I sigh happily, knowing they must be having lots of fun. I dismiss them at first. _

_No. I listen again. The screams are not playful. They are terrified. I must go check on them. _

_Elsa screams again, her voice filled with an intense pain. I must go, dear Diary! Something is terribly wrong! _

A blot of ink was left running across the page. The spot where her mother must have dropped her inkpainter. And April 10. The day her parents died. This must have been written right before they died. Right when Elsa's arm had been cut, leaving her with that scar. This was the last thing her mother had ever written. Overwhelmed with emotion, Anna turned the pages back, back, back.

_September 1, - _

_Idun Summer's Journal _

_11:05_

_Today is Anna's first day at Blessed High. It is terribly exciting! I fear I was a bit emotional at the front door when we sent them off. I think I must apologize to them later. Anna especially. Tell me, when did they turn from six-year-old girls to sixteen-year-old ones? I must have missed it. _

_Love, Idun _

Anna remembered that day. At the time, it had been embarrassing, but now, she would gladly relive that day three more times to have her family back. Even Elsa.

She read, seeing events from her mother's perspective. She herself recalled the events fondly. She missed the days when everything was so much simpler.

A page in her mother's diary, dated years ago, made her stop.

_August 10, - _

_Idun Summer's Journal _

_2:37 _

_Diary, they took him away an entire year ago. I miss Jakob; he is my only son. Supposing the rumors are true, he is dead now. I miss the joy of his little laugh, I miss his white, tangled hair. _

_Diary, I did not record this when I first noticed. Well, I did, but I ripped the pages from you and put them away, in a secret place. _

_Jakob was odd. He was different. No, not different; Different. He blasted ice from his small hands, freezing the house. We were not careful, and he was found. _

_We had warned him to stop, Diary. He couldn't help himself; a child of that age never could have. He was taken away a year ago. _

_Little Elsa's Differences started at the same time as Jakob's, Diary, about two years ago. She blasts ice from her little hands. She is very careful, much more careful than a six-year-old should have to be. She and Anna play in the snow at night, but they have neither been caught nor hurt, so we have allowed it to continue. I will not allow my eldest to be taken away from me. _

_Diary, I should rip this page out, too, and hide it. Even burn it. But I can't. I know someone, someday, shall read this. This will be important someday. So I leave it be. _

_Love, Idun_

Anna was confused. Who was Jakob? Where was the secret place, and what did it contain?

She read on.

_January 13, - _

_Idun Summer's Journal _

_1:30 _

_I was given three gifts today; children and a journal. I am sorry, dear Diary, but the children are better. _

_Imagine it! Me, a mother! The very thought fills me with joy. _

That's right. Elsa's birthday was the thirteenth. But why did she use plural _children? _

_They were born about an hour and a half ago, right at noon. Two! I had thought only one, but the gods have blessed me again, dear Diary. A boy and a girl. The girl was born first, of course. I chose the girl's name, Adgar chose the boy's. The girl is Elsa; the boy is Jakob. The doctors claim they are odd, their skin is too cold; but I do not care. They are my children, and I love them to death already. Is that odd? No, I don't think it is. _

_Their skin, speaking of it, is a pale white; small tufts of light hair are already popping up on their little heads. Their eyes are a beautiful matching blue; light, yet deep, like the ocean. Or, how I imagine the ocean. I have never seen it in person. It is a secret dream of mine, Diary, to see the ocean. They are identical, so close in appearance only I can tell them apart. Possibly because I birthed them, because they are my family?_

_Dear, dear Diary, this is the start of an era, at least for Adgar and I. Definitely for Elsa and Jakob. I suppose I should make a document of this momentous event. _

_Names: Elsa and Jakob Summers _

_Birthday: January 13, -, Noon exactly _

_Love, Idun _

Anna's mind was reeling. Elsa had a _twin? Who? _

How was this the first she had ever heard of it? He must have been discovered by Officials long ago. Her mother had clearly stated that. Still, he had never even been mentioned to her by anyone. She had a _brother? What? _How many secrets did her mother hold?

Clutching the journal to her chest, she ran out of the room. Out, out of the room, out of the house, locking the door tight behind her. Down the street, around the corner, far, far away from the memories.

All that was left behind were footprints in the dust.

***OMG OMG OMG **

**Calm down, girl! **

**I REFUSE. MY MIND HAS BEEN BLOWN UP BY EVIL MONKEYS THAT LIVE IN THIS CHAPTER AHHHH**

**Oh, well. I tried. She'll be hyperventilating about this 'till next chapter. You'll see her then, I swear. **

**~17headline's inner consciousness **

**OMG OMG OMG* **


	12. Jane Porter and the Realistic Tree

***Hey ya'll! I'm really sorry I took so long. My computer got a virus. I didn't even finish the next chapter yet, I need to get this up so badly. This was typed on the dreaded PARENT"S COMPUTER… that's how much I like you guys. Anyway, here we are, all updated!* **

**Reviews: **

**RavenQueenFan2605: Yay, now we're all on the same page! And you are a violent, violent person. **

**Guest- It's perfectly okay! You will see why Hans did that sometime in the future. I know, right, school sucks! **

**SnowQueen: Yes, that was truly terrible, especially as I left you with a cliffhanger. **

**Part Twelve- **

Elsa's life had brightened. Her powers were back! It sent a thrill through her just thinking about it. She hadn't realized she'd been yearning for them, but now that they were back, a void in her was filled. She still had the occasional flashback, but she didn't care. She was normal again. Normal for the Suburbs, anyway.

The Suburbs. She wished she had been discovered earlier. Thinking back, she laughed at the Arendelle Blessed's superstitions about them. Madison, Carter, Rapunzel, Mrs. Sanar, Jack, savages! It was silly to even consider.

Jack. He had become a close friend. It was so nice, it felt so good, to have someone so like her. Sometimes, they even spoke in unison. True, his ice talent could use some tweaking, and her snow could use a touch, but life felt perfect. She was almost as close with Jack as she was with Rapunzel. She had also become close with the other people at their lunch table. Her talent renewal had really opened her up. She had no intentions of going back to that other Elsa, the shy, quiet one.

The only thing she was worrying about was the upcoming concert. She wasn't having after-school lessons anymore, as Mr. Opus had deemed her as good as any of the other students. He had, however, helped everyone, including Elsa, with choreography.

One day in Chorus, a few short days after "the Renewal", as they were calling it now, Mr. Opus made an announcement.

"Class, I have overheard some of you wondering about our stage for the concert. As you all know, it will be held in the theater by Mrs. Sanar's room. You all know where that is? Good. It is very well equipped. Our stage crew will be managing you all. Excluding, of course, the ones performing separately- the others will do your jobs. I will be enlisting artful, creative students to work on sets after-school. Everyone is welcome. Come after school today in the theater for more information. Meanwhile, the next thing you, as a singer, will want to think about is sets. Nothing über-sophisticated- no Broadway, people. Otherwise, begin designing. For this week, we want to use all the periods for every part of your performance- _except _singing. Got it? Get to work."

Rapunzel nudged Elsa. "Now that we're free, we could do sets! It would be so much fun!"

Elsa had nothing else to do… "Sure. We can go to the meeting in the theater."

Jack walked up behind them, accompanied by Adam and Elphaba as Rapunzel squealed. "Yay!"

"Why the yelling?" asked Jack, leaning on Rapunzel's chair- from behind.

"We're going to work on the sets for the show! You guys wanna come with?"

Elphaba shook her head. "Sorry. I failed that Science test last week. My mom was so mad, she signed me up for a student tutor. I can't do it."

Rapunzel shrugged. "That's okay. Adam?"

He shook his head too. "I'm the student tutor."

Rapunzel turned around in her chair. "I know for a _fact _that Jack has nothing after school today," she said sweetly.

He groaned. "Fine. I'll be there."

So, it was planned. After school, the three went to the theater with their things.

They sat in the velvet seats facing the stage. Not very many other students were there. She recognized a few. She saw Eugene Genie, from Math; Jessie Doll, a cheerful redhead from Social Studies; Peter Pan, a boy she had seen flying around the classroom before Mr. Haan had arrived in English; and Nakoma Indian, a girl with pretty dark skin, hair, and eyes, also in English. Everyone else, she didn't know.

Mr. Opus walked out onstage. "Listen up, people! We have a lot of stuff to do! Miss Dory here is passing out a list of sets. Group yourselves, five is the biggest I'll do, and I'll let each group choose a set from the list. More sets will come on the list as students decide on their setting. Things need to be movable- wheels, lightweight, whatever. Otherwise, it's all up to you. Make your clients happy! Tomorrow, I'll have my Chorus group stay after school to meet with you. Now, go group yourselves! Off you go! Shoo!"

Rapunzel, Jack, and Elsa grouped as Dory gave them the sheet of paper. Rapunzel began reading the list aloud.

"This list must be for the grouped classes. All righty here, we have an underwater set, a meadow, a waterfall/river, and a forest. What do we want?"

"The waterfall," Jack and Elsa said in unison.

"Okay then! The waterfall set it is!"

The group marched up to the stage, where Mr. Opus was waiting. "We want the waterfall," declared Rapunzel.

Mr. Opus nodded at them. " 'Kay. Here's the checklist for the scene."

Elsa scanned the list.

_Waterfall Set, for 4th Period Band _

_Five trees, to the side _

_A river, coming down center stage _

_Waterfall behind river, leading to _

_A few wildflowers_

_Floor, green, grass _

_Slight wind at certain intervals _

Rapunzel looked up. "We can do this. I have an idea for the waterfall, guys. It should be _real." _

"What?" exclaimed Elsa.

Jack scratched his head. "If we make a rut in the center of the stage… it could work."

The three began discussing. Without them noticing, a girl walked up behind them.

She tapped Elsa on the shoulder. "Excuse me?"

Elsa turned around. "Ah! Oh… nevermind. Um… hello?"

The girl blushed. "I'm Jane," she said, with a heavy accent. "I don't have a group. Do you mind if…?"

Elsa smiled. "Of course you can join! We're working on the waterfall set."

"Oh, brilliant! I love the outdoors. I can make a tree," she offered. "I'll even add a platform."

"Great!" responded Rapunzel. "I'll go grab some wood from the stage." She ran up the stairs stage left, getting some wood pieces from center stage.

Jane hummed to herself and tucked a piece of brown hair behind her ear.

"So, Jane," said Elsa, "are you Suburban-born or Arendellian-born? I'm Arendellian- I got here recently."

Jane brightened. "Me, too! I just arrived last week. These clothes are so… odd, aren't they?" She picked at her jeans. "I'm so used to the dresses they made us wear. I wonder what Mother would think, me in trousers!" She laughed.

Elsa laughed with her. "You get used to them eventually. It took me a while, too."

Jane turned to Jack. "What about you?"

Jack cleared his throat. 'I'm Arendelle-born, too," he said.

"Really?" asked Elsa. Everything here seemed to natural to him. She never would have guessed.

"Yeah. I came here when I was, what, five? Four? I don't remember anything about my family. All I remember is my crib. An identical one was across the room, and a woman was there. She was reeeally pregnant, too. And she was tucking me in. I was hugging something. That's all I got," he said shrugging. "But I don't care. From all the Transfers, it sounds terrible." He clapped a hand over his mouth. "Ooops."

"Jack, what are Transfers?"

He shook his head. Rapunzel came up behind them, carrying boards of wood. Oh well. She would root it out of him later.

"Hey, guys! I got them!" she said, dropping the planks of wood on the floor with a loud noise. Elsa and Jane flinched. Jack laughed. "I got some paints, too," she said, offering browns and greens to Jane. She accepted them gladly. "Okay! I'll get to work." She took a paintbrush from her bag and began painting.

"So, Jane," said Rapunzel, making herself comfortable on her stomach, "why were you sent here? I was born in the Suburbs."

Jane flinched at the memory. "I'm not really sure what it is I do," she responded. "I… calm things down."

"What?" asked the others in unison.

"There was this dog, running down the side-walking area. He was running at this little boy. I couldn't help myself. I put myself between the two. I told the dog to stop, and he did. He sat down where he was, panting and waving his tail like mad. He was calm."

Rapunzel looked thoughtful. "It sounds like a weird twist on Persuasion talents… oh, I know! We haven't had one for a long time. You're a Peacer."

"A Peacer?" asked Jane, confused. Elsa was, too.

"You give things peace. Wow, that one's pretty rare. You calm things down, like you said."

"Yes, but I'm confused. I have Light too."

Elsa was gaping at her. When she glanced over at him, Jack was too.

"They just don't want you because you have something extra, something they can't control."

"Oh," said a relieved Jane. "Thanks to you for clearing that up. Now, do any of you have a pencil? I want to sketch this tree out."

Elsa handed her a pencil, and the accented brunette went to work. Elsa watched her in wonder. She was literally seeing a dead tree become a live one again. And Jane hadn't even begun painting.

When Jane left to get a saw, to cut the outline, Jack leaned in. "Phew. I thought maybe she was a Nobody…"

Rapunzel nodded. "I wondered that too. Elsa, come look at this drawing. Do you think we can make this?"

Elsa looked the blueprint over. "Hmmm…."

Two hours later, Jane called out. "I am finished!"

Elsa, Jack and Rapunzel removed themselves from their work and looked over at Jane. "Woah," Rapunzel breathed. Elsa agreed.

The tree looked _real. _Papery leaves sprouted from the branches. Pink tissue-paper buds dotted the tree. Jane had carved into the trunk, giving it a bark-like texture.

Jane motioned at them excitedly, hot glue-gun in hand. "Come to the back! I made the platform. Peter can fly, so I thought…"

From the back, many of the branches had planks of wood sticking out. Invisible to the front, they also had leaves and flowers concealing them.

Elsa shook her head in wonder. "That's incredible, Jane."

She beamed. "Thank you!"

Rapunzel said, "Mr. Opus has to see this," and dashed off to go get him.

Jack asked, "How did you make this in two and a half hours?"

Jane shrugged. "I really like creating. I let my mind take me away, and this happened!" She clasped her hands and sighed at the tree, smiling.

Rapunzel dragged Mr. Opus over. "See!" she exclaimed.

Mr. Opus's eyes widened. "Jane! You made this?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well done! Say, you're in my ninth-period Chorus, correct?"

She nodded, blushing.

"This is what I was hoping to be done after a week! Keep it up tomorrow, when we continue! For now, you can leave it on the stage."

Jane nodded again. Jack picked it up and went over to the stage. Mr. Opus went with him.

"Attention students! Our session today is over. I'm forcing all the Band students to come here after-school tomorrow, so if that's who you're creating for, be ready! Orchestra is the day after tomorrow, and Chorus the day after that. Leave your stuff on the stage. When that's done, you're all dismissed." He brushed the curtains aside and went backstage, disappearing.

Jane turned to Elsa and Rapunzel. "We are showing them tomorrow, then? How exciting!"

"Yeah!" responded a chipper Rapunzel. "Will we see you tomorrow, then?"

"Of course!" said Jane. "Thank you for letting me join your group, Elsa."

Elsa was startled for a moment, before remembering she had been the one to tell Jane yes. "Of course, Jane. Anytime." She smiled.

Jane gathered her things, slinging her bookbag over her shoulder. "See you all tomorrow!"

"Bye!" yelled Elsa, Rapunzel, and Jack, who had just now come back.

_Jane Porter, _thought Elsa, _is my friend. _

***How was it, guys? I only know if you review! **

**So, lots of new characters. Hmm, let's have another contest! If you can name who all the new characters are, and their movies, more brownies (virtual!) ! Do it like this: **

**Jessie Doll is (A Name) from (A Movie) **

**And so on, with Peter Pan (you should all probably get that one), Eugene Genie, Nakoma Indian, and Jane Porter. I will be seriously surprised if you guys get Nakoma or Jessie. **


	13. We Meet Again

***And I'm back! Yay! (Does victory dance) I'm back, baby!***

**Reviews: **

**RavenQueenFan2605: Yes, yes, no, yes, and yes! Four of five, pretty good! Nakoma was pretty hard. She's in Pocahontas, she's the girl Pocahontas was in the canoe with at the beginning. And whew. Yeah, Hans does kinda deserve it. You're gonna be furious when you find out his plot this time. And thanks! **

**Guest: Thanks! Yeah, I know that movie :) **

**SnowQueen: Yes, yes, yes, and yes! If you read RQF2605's response already, you know everything I was going to say :) **

**ElsaTheSnowQueen2: Thanks :) **

**Shadowfax321: YES THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS DOING :) IF YOU COULDN'T TELL I WAS KIDDING :) **

**I'm so happy you all love this so much! It really makes my day, some of your reviews. **

**Part 13- We Meet Again **

Anna sat on her bed, hyperventilating. The journal was locked in her closet, and she couldn't help but keep glancing over at the closed door.

_I have a brother, _said Anna's silent lips, moving without a sound. _Jakob Summers. Jakob. Jakob. _

_Jakob. _

Elsa was back the next day for more set assembly. She found Jack and Jane waiting for them in the same spot as yesterday, the tree standing firmly next to Jane. A large amount of kids milled about.

Mr. Opus walked out from behind the stage, Mr. Cee-Sharp accompanying him. Mr. Opus gave a loud whistle, and everyone fell silent, turning towards the stage.

"All right, everybody! Band students, our lovely helpers here worked hard yesterday to begin helping you out. They have been assembled around the room in their groups, many with various props around them. They have only started for entire classes, sorry, Period Nine. Let's see. Period One, see Miss Nakoma Indian over there? She and her group have begun working on your forest." A large group moved in the general direction. "Do you see her? She has that tree by her? Wait, that's Jane's group." Elsa's group beamed. "See, she has the brown fringe dress on? Beaded, too? You see her? Okay." Directions continued. Elsa saw the other members of her group perk up when they heard their designated class period announced. "Period Four! You guys are the group with the tree! You see Miss Jane Porter over there? I know she's new. Fine. You see Rapunzel Corona and Jack Frost over there? That's where you're all going."

Rapunzel, Jane, and Elsa waited excitedly as the class made their way over. Jack simply looked slightly bored.

A wall of students amassed before them. They all looked slightly grumpy at being forced to be there. A blonde boy stepped forward.

Dash Incredible.

"So, ladies, what have we got here?" he asked, smirking. He walked forward, tapping the tree.

"Shut up, Dash," said Rapunzel forcefully, rolling her eyes. Dash suddenly became much meeker, and stepped backward.

Jane cleared her throat. "We've been working on your set. Yesterday, we constructed this tree. It has platforms on the back, for any fliers here, and I tried to make it as real as possible."

Students oohed and aahed over the wooden tree. A girl stepped forward, grinning. "Are you from Eastern Arendelle?" she asked Jane, in a matching accent.

Jane's face brightened. "Wait, is that Wendy Darling? Wendy?"

"Yes!" Wendy squealed. The two girls ran at each other, sobbing.

"Wendy! I thought I would never see you again!" cried Jane.

"Me too," wailed Wendy. "I missed you so much!"

"Me _too!" _cried Jane. The two girls hugged and laughed and cried.

Elsa felt her heart melt at the reunion. They had obviously been best friends back in Arendelle. She recognized the girl's accents now. Eastern Arendelle was notorious for queer accents, exceptional manners, and tea.

Elsa smiled at them. "You and Wendy can leave. We can handle this."

Jane and Wendy shook their heads. "Now, I need to be with my group," said Wendy, as Jane said, "I can do this."

Jane took a deep breath, wiped her tear-stained face, and continued speaking. "We also made a floor plan for your performance."

Rapunzel stepped forward. "I drew this up yesterday."

The class leaned in, peering at the drawing. The group was silent.

One of the girls said, "Sounds good. But why are the waterfall and river so thin?"

Rapunzel gave them a smile. "We want to use real water for your scene."

Silent ensued. The only noise was the other classes talking about the sets for the other periods.

A boy finally spoke up. "That sounds cool." The other students nodded, murmuring in agreement, and Rapunzel sighed with relief. Elsa could tell, Rapunzel had been hoping they would like it.

Wendy, tears still drying, said, "Is there anything you want us to help you construct right now?"

Jane nodded vigorously. "We need more of these trees, people."

Rapunzel said, "Organize yourselves into groups, and Jane will show us all how to do it."

The students grouped themselves. For the rest of the time, the students laughed together as they worked on their sets. It felt like one merry family to Elsa. She, Jack and Rapunzel worked on a tree together while Jane gave instructions. By the end of the time, three more trees were done, and six more were half-finished, which was four more than originally planned. But nobody cared. Even Dash behaved himself.

As all the students cleared out, while Elsa and the others were putting away the trees, Wendy approached Jane. "Would you like an invitation to come to my house?"

Jane grinned. "Of course, I accept. When?"

"Now!" said Wendy.

Jane stammered, "Will it be acceptable with-"

Wendy laughed. "They won't mind. Come on!" To the others, she said, "Is it allright if I take Jane-"

Rapunzel smiled. "Go ahead." Elsa and Jack nodded.

Jane and Wendy dashed away. Elsa, Rapunzel and Jack finished putting away the trees.

Rapunzel sighed and twirled around, hands clasped to her hands. "That was too sweet," she said, dreamily.

Elsa knew exactly what she was talking about. "It really was."

Jack turned to her. "So, what's Eastern Arendelle?"

Elsa responded, "One of Arendelle's four Quadrants. There's East, where Wendy and Jane are from, West, North, and South. They all have other names, too. East is usually called York. West is Chicago. North is Ontario, and South is usually called Nigeria."

"Thanks for the geography lesson."

"You're welcome. Apparently, the four Quadrants are named after ancient places, but I was never really interested in it. So, yeah, Jane and Wendy are from York."

"Where are you from?" asked Jack.

"Chicago. West Arendelle, the Quadrant closest to the Suburbs."

"Weird. My foster parents always said I was from there."

"Really? I almost miss it. There was the best cafe around the corner. And my old bedroom. My father painted stars on the ceiling. I would stare at them for hours." She choked up a bit at the memory. She swayed a little.

Jack jumped off the stage and helped the two girls down. Elsa landed gingerly. She was still swaying, a bit more than before. Stars floated in front of her vision.

"Rapunzel."

"Yes?"

"Could you do me a favor and catch me?"

"What?"

Elsa collapsed.

_The stars solidified. She was in bed, snuggled in for the night. _

_She couldn't sleep. _

_Ten-year-old Elsa stared at the stars on the ceiling. Her daddy had painted them to look like the constellations of old. She saw the Big Dipper, the North Star, the Huntress. _

_Elsa glanced over at a sleeping Anna. She almost wished Anna would wake her up, like she used to. Back when she remembered. Was it November already? The incident had happened in April. Time went by so fast. Too fast. Elsa sighed. _

_Little did she know what would happen in a few years, how she would lose almost everything. _

_Even back then, Elsa was an innocent kid. _

She woke up with a start. Rapunzel was leaning over her, and Jack was watching from a few steps back. Elsa sat up, golden hair falling from her head into her lap.

"Elsa, are you allright?!" asked Jack worriedly.

"I'm fine. It just happens sometimes."

"But you just collapsed- on the floor there-" Jack gestured wildly. His eyebrows creased down, concerned.

Elsa almost laughed. Then she thought of how worried Jack must have been. But why? He'd seen her have a blackout before. "I'm truly fine, Jack. Rapunzel helps me out whenever I have a blackout. She wakes me up." Elsa frowned as a thought struck her. "How long was the faint-blackout time this round?" she askes Rapunzel.

"About ten seconds, why?"

"The scene lasted about thirty. I always see the entire event before I wake back up."

Rapunzel frowned too. "Weird."

Jack butted in. "Ahem. This tree is HEAVY."

Elsa rolled her eyes. "You can do it."

As the he carried the tree away, Rapunzel leaned in towards Elsa. "I think we need a trip to Mrs. Sanar's tomorrow. I'll let her know you're coming during fourth period. Tell Mrs. Snow, okay?"

"Okay," said Elsa. Jack walked back over.

"See you guys tomorrow," he said, picking up his bag.

"Okay," said the girls in unison.

He walked out of the theatre. The two girls picked up their bags and then, too, left the school.

{later}

Elsa laid in bed, music device playing. She listened closely to the lyrics, eyelids drooping.

_Anyone can see that the road that they walk on is paved in gold _

Huh. Like the Arendellians, the Blessed.

_And it's always summer, it never gets cold _

Who would want to live in a world like that? Elsa had wanted to, once.

Not anymore.

_They'll never get hungry, they'll never get old and gray _

Of course they get old. Gray? No. They're too bright and warm for that.

_You can see their shadows wandering off somewhere _

_They won't make it home, but they really don't care _

That was me, Elsa realized. Except I have made it home. The Suburbs are home now.

_They wanted the highway _

_They're happy now today, todaaaaaaaaay… _

And with that, her eyelids finally drooped down all the way, and she slept.

***How was it, guys? Review to tell me! **

**Song? "The Way" by Fastball. One of my all-time favorites, coming highly recommended. **

**Why did I name each Quadrant as I did? **

**York: Jane and Wendy are from England, so I chose a not-as obvious place for them. London seemed too obvious. **

**Nigeria: I chose a country at random. **

**Ontario: I'm in the Midwest, and Canada is so close... **

**Chicago: Why, I live in a Chicago suburb, of course! **

**Well, that's it for now! Bye!* **


	14. ROCK PAPER SCISSORS SHOOT!

***Hey, guys! LATE MERRY XMAS!* **

**Reviews: **

**Guest: Yup, Chicago! It's too cold for my taste, but I'll manage. Thanks! And I agree; your friend is absolutely WRONG! I hope you wore the Frozen stuff :) **

**SnowQueen: Yes, my computer's good again :) and you're totally welcome!**

**Iceleaf13: Haha lol! What a coinky-dink **

**Part Fourteen: "ROCK PAPER SCISSORS SHOOT!"**

Han's plan was going beautifully. Even he had not known how the Suburbians, the rejects, were treated, and it made his blood boil. Good.

The rejects needed to be wiped out. Permanently.

He squeezed his eyes shut. After all they had done to him, they deserved it.

He switched his thoughts over to Anna. She thought he loved her. Ha! Just a part of his plan.

He didn't love her. She was nothing to him.

Ha.

Elsa brushed her hands together to rid them of wood shavings. She stepped back, admiring their final structure for the waterfall scene.

"Perfect," sighed Rapunzel. Jane nodded in agreement.

Jack said, "I just liked using the hammer." He held it up to his face, caressing it gently.

Elsa cast him a dirty look, and he grinned. She couldn't help but smile too; Jack's grin spread faster than the plage.

Jane said, "All right then, crew, let's put the tree away. Rapunzel, will you help me with that?" Rapunzel nodded. She lifted the piece and jerked her head towards Jack and Elsa. "You two should go talk to Mr. Opus."

Elsa nodded. She grabbed Jack's arm and dragged him up the stage stairs where Mr. Opus was standing. "Mr. Opus, our group finished the waterfall set. What do we do now?"

Mr. Opus considered it. "You could pick another set from the list, or you could do something else. Tell me, is everyone in your group in ninth period Chorus?"

Elsa and Jack nodded simultaneously. They had discovered Jane was in their class, too, she had just been too shy to ever speak up before. Now, she sat next to Elsa.

"If you guys want, you could start working on your own sets. As long as you all agree on which set to do first, you can get started."

Elsa's eyes went wide. Whose to do first? Not hers, that was for sure. "Mr. Opus, about that, I have an idea for my set."

"Mmm-hmm?"

She told him, and he smiled. "That would be incredible! Work hard, and it will come true. Ah, I guess you four have one less set to make! Now, shoo, go create!" He waved them off, and the duo walked down the steps. Jack started to speak.

"Are you really gonna-"

"Yeah."

"Cool!"

She grinned. Jack was so immature.

They found Rapunzel and Jane waiting for them. As Elsa started to speak, Jack blurted out, "Wecanstartourownsetsnowminefirst!"

"JACK!" she yelled.

"Oops," he responded.

"As _Jack _over here said, Mr. Opus said we can start making our own sets now."

Rapunzel clapped her hands in delight. "Ooo, great! But who do we do first?"

Elsa took a step back. "Not me. My set's already done."

The others, excluding Jack, looked confused. "But you haven't built anything."

She smiled mysteriously. "Exactly." She caught Jack grinning at her. Dang that Jack! Had he been spying on her?

Probably.

Jane blushed. "My design still needs work. Not me."

Rapunzel sent Jack a challenging glare. "Me or you then."

Jack sent the look right back at her. "It's on."

The two squared off, circling each other, sending each other mock menacing stares. They raised their right fists, left palms flat just below, and yelled-

"ROCK PAPER SCISSORS SHOOT!"

Elsa was so, so confused. An exchange of glances told her Jane felt the same.

The two thumped their fists against their palms three times, bringing the fists back up in different positions. Jack's fist was still a fist, raised out triumphantly. Rapunzel had her right hand flat, facing the floor.

Rapunzel yelled out. "PAPER BEATS ROCK! HAH!" She smacked his hand with hers.

"Dang it!" whined Jack. Rapunzel then proceeded to do a dance around him. How a thin sheet of paper could trounce a big old rock, Elsa had no idea.

Rapunzel and Jack walked back over. "I go first," announced Rapunzel.

Jack huffed and crossed his arms. "Only because you cheated," he mumbled.

Rapunzel turned to face him, hands on her hips. "How on Earth do you cheat in Rock Paper Scissors? It's not my fault you always choose rock!"

He frowned at her. "How do you know that?"

Exasperated, Rapunzel responded, "It's been that way since I taught the game to you. Now," she said, facing the entire group, unfolding a paper, "I made some blueprints. Now, here, here and here, I want some…"

Elsa forgot her confusion as she studied the diagram. Then, the friends got to work.

{LATER}

Elsa laid in bed. Her music device was playing. It had become something of a ritual, now, listening to music before bed.

She wasn't even really listening to the song. She was just… thinking.

What was Anna doing now? How was she coping? Elsa wished she knew.

{ANNA}

Anna, at that time, was also in bed. Thinking, too. But with no music. Not that she knew what music was.

She was thinking about Jakob, of course.

How was she to find a little baby in an entire town? Because there was no question about it; she wanted, possibly even needed, to find him, to end this obsession.

Wait, no. He would be Elsa's age now, if he was her twin.

And he would have been renamed…

The hospital had all the children's birth records… including former Arendellain Blessed's…

Her mind was made up. That's where she would go.

Now, what to do when she found him?

***(Sorry that was a bit short.) Listen up, guys! **

**I have actually not yet decided Rapunzel's set or song. I need ideas! I was going to do "When Will My Life Begin?" originally, but I realized it didn't connect… at all. So, I am taking suggestions! **

**Well, see you guys later, and Merry Christmas!* **


	15. Ornery Old Ladies

***A little short, but here we go!***

**Reviews: **

**Bluebird22: Hm, I think I can try… **

**RavenQueen2605: Thanks! Yes, he is, but what? You'll have to wait and see… And I do like the idea of a Bridgit Mendler song. I'll look into it. **

**Guest: Yeah, to you too! I don't mind. And good for you! Frozen rules! **

**Part Fifteen: Ornery Old Ladies**

Elsa was nervous. Elsa was nervous. Elsa was nervous.

The Winter Festival was _next week. _

And EVERYONE would be there.

The entire. Town.

Elsa. Was. Nervous.

"You'll be fine, E," reassured Rapunzel.

"But the people- and the stage- and my talent-"

"Will make a fabulous show," interjected Rapunzel.

"Really?"

"Of course!" said Rapunzel.

"You think so?"

"I don't _think_," responded Rapunzel, "I _know_."

"Truly?"

Rapunzel stopped and grabbed her by the shoulders, looking Elsa in the eye. "You will be great. Now, stop doubting yourself! You can do this!"

Elsa sighed. "Okay. I know. I'm just worried-"

"Which is perfectly reasonable," interrupted Rapunzel. "It's your very first performance. I can't imagine how terrifying that would be, especially since you're from- well, that's not important. But as soon as you start to have some confidence in yourself, your performance immediately gets ten times better."

"Really?"

"Of course! When you _own _the stage, you _own _the audience. Just be comfortable, and they'll love you."

"Are you sure?"

"_One hundred percent_! Look, we need to get your mind off this Festival. Movie Saturday night?"

Elsa was already looking forward to it. "Disney movie?"

"Without a doubt." Rapunzel winked.

Elsa's mind was already off in another world. "Which one?"

"A new one."

She couldn't wait! "No! Tell me!"

"Never!" yelled Rapunzel as she dashed away mid-hug. "See you Saturday!"

"Dang you, Rapunzel!" Elsa called after her. But Rapunzel simply laughed, and soon she was gone.

She raised her fist in mock fury as her golden hair vanished from sight. Her mind was already on the movie.

And more importantly, off the Festival.

{SATURDAY}

The doorbell rang, sending its sweet tunes all throughout the mansion. This time, Elsa herself answered the door.

"Hey!" said Elsa. "Come in!"

A grinning Rapunzel stepped over the threshold. The two girls went to the same room as last time and plopped down in the beanbags.

"Let's cut to the chase, shall we?" asked Rapunzel, digging out movies from her bag. Elsa leaned over excitedly, trying to read the titles. "Let's see, we have_ Aladdin, Cinderella, Hercules_, and _Sleeping Beauty_." She fanned them out, titles to the floor. "Close your eyes and pick one!"

Elsa giggled and closed her eyes. She let her fingers dance over the plastic covers, finally letting them rest over the one on the end. "This one."

She opened her eyes as Rapunzel flipped it. "_Aladdin_! That's a good one." She popped it into the player, and the girls settled down to watch.

Dashing, daring Aladdin made her laugh. And the Genie was terrific! His magic fingers, making anything Aladdin wanted appear… Elsa wished she had her own genie. When the Genie disappeared, Aladdin went off to charm Jasmine… Elsa could hear Rapunzel sighing as she watched Jasmine and Aladdin sing on the carpet. And Jafar was so evil! His and Aladdin's final battle for Jasmine didn't allow Elsa's eyes to leave the screen.

When the movie ended, Elsa sighed and fell back onto her chair. "That was wonderful."

Rapunzel nodded dreamily. "It really was. What would you ask Genie for?"

As the girls debated the topic, Madison walked into the room with a tray loaded with snacks and drinks. "How's it going, girls?" she asked them.

"We just finished Aladdin," responded Rapunzel.

Madison winked. "That used to be one of my favorites. Well, I'll leave you two now." She exited, leaving the tray behind.

Elsa faced Rapunzel. "Any chance we can watch a second one?"

Rapunzel smiled. "Of course. Hercules okay?"

"Never seen it."

"Of course not." Rapunzel took the _Aladdin_ CD from the player and inserted _Hercules_.

Hercules… Elsa didn't like him nearly as much as she liked Aladdin. He could use to rein in his ego. She loved Meg, though. And Phil. And Pegasus.

Sometime during the movie, Elsa fell asleep.

{ANNA}

She walked into the Western Arendelle Hospital feeling ready. For answers, that is.

She went up to the Information Desk and asked, "May I see some health records, please?"

The old lady behind the desk gave her the eye. "Who're ya lookin' for?"

"Jakob Summers, please."

The woman turned around in her swivel chair and browsed through a file cabinet. "He's not in here, hon'."

"He is in the Suburbs now, ma'am," responded Anna. "He may not be in there."

The lady turned around to face her, sporting another evil eye. "Why would you want Suburbian records?"

"Because he's my brother. I like to check up on him," responded Anna.

She turned around again and browsed a second cabinet. One much dustier and cleaner, as if it was less used than the first. "Ah. Here he is. Jakob Summers." She handed Anna the file. "Don't take it out of the hospital, ya' hear?"

"Yes ma'am," responded Anna. She accepted the file and went over to sit in a chair in the waiting room. She began to read.

_Jakob Summers , Male_

_Born 13 January -, currently 16 years old_

_Died _

_Family: Father, Adgar, deceased of mobile accident April 10, - at 39 ; Mother, Idun, deceased of same mobile accident 10 April, - at 34; Twin Sister, Elsa, 16, transported to Suburbs 2 November - for exhibiting non-Blessed abilities; Sister, Anna, 15 years old, Prodigy, last remaining Blessed in family. _

_Health Records: _

_Came down with flu at age three, recovered four days later. ( 25 February- 1 March -) _

_Broke wrist at age five, jumping from kitchen counter to living room couch, recovered six weeks later. (27 March- 14 May -) _

_Transported to Suburbs 10 April - at age six for exhibiting non-Blessed abilities. Parents Adgar and Idun had memories from before transport wiped from the minds of Elsa and Anna Summers. Male currently resides with Angela Wisps and Richard Panther at 428 Ellis Street._

_Now goes by Jack Frost. _

So Anna did have a brother. An older one she had no memory of. Because her parents had wiped her memory of them.

She finished examining the records and walked back up to the Information Desk. "Can I make a copy of this?" she asked the lady.

"Yes. Give that to me." The woman snatched it from Anna's hands. Once again, she turned around, returning a few minutes later with a photocopied copy. "Here. Goodbye." She closed the glass partition, almost clipping Anna's finger.

As she headed home to Mary and Seth's, she began composing the letter she would send her brother.


	16. The Festival

***And now, we finally arrive at the Winter Festival! Woohoo! **

**I suggest for each song, go search the songs on Youtube and listen to them as you read. Here they are, in order of appearance: **

**Rapunzel: **_**Carry On **_**by Olivia Holt- thank you, RavenQueenFan2605! I branched off a little, but I stuck to your Disney idea. **

**Jane: **_**Unwritten **_**by Natasha Bedingfield**

**Jack: **_**Lonely Boy **_**by The Black Keys**

**Elsa: **_**Let It Go**_**, the finale to the entire show. * **

**Reviews: **

**RavenQueenFan2605: I decided to go looking for more Disney artist songs, since those are more inspirational than, say, the stuff on the radio right now. So yes, I found an Olivia Holt song I loved and used that. Current pairings are Hanna. All other pairings are separated- for example, Rapunzel is in the Suburbs and Flynn is in Arendelle. Belle is in Arendelle, and Adam is in the Suburbs. See now? Though I'm thinking of pairing Peter/Wendy… Weter or Pendy?... **

**Guest: Thank you! **

**ElsaTheSnowQueen2: Thank you so much!**

**Part 16- The Festival **

Elsa's hands shook. January Thirteenth, the day of the Festival, was finally here. Her flirty summer dress, cream with multicolored dots bound by a brown belt, concealed her trembling knees. Her brown strappy sandals showed off pink-painted toes shaking where they stood. Her platinum blonde hair was up in a no-part ponytail, and her face had minimal makeup.

She was nervous. Pretty much the entire Suburbian community was out there, waiting to see the teens perform.

But she had to get her mind off that now. Rapunzel was up. And she was the backup vocalist; the harmony singer. Jack was going to be up there too, doing the other harmony. Jane had picked up the guitar chords, and would be sitting on a stool slightly behind them. And all their other friends would be standing in the shadows, waiting to sing the final chorus.

Finally, Mr. Opus walked out to introduce them. As he spoke, Elsa, Rapunzel, and crew arranged themselves onstage.

"And now, I present Rapunzel Corona, singing her song _Carry On._" he announced, then he ran offstage.

The curtains opened to reveal Rapunzel center stage. Elsa, to her right. Jack, to her left. All their other friends, like Elphaba and Adam, in back waiting to sing. The grassy meadow set waved in the wind. The "sun" shone bright above them. So bright, Elsa could barely see the audience. She started to relax.

Rapunzel began to sing to the plucking of Jane's guitar.

"_There's always gonna be some canyon in the way. _

Plants around them began to glow and grow. Jack joined in.

_There's always gonna be a river I cannot cross. _

Elsa joined in.

_Somewhere along this path that's chosen me_

_I know I'm gonna fall down, feel lost, feel weak_

_But wherever it leads_

_No one said this would ever be easy, my love_

_But I will be by your side when the impossible rises up_

_We will travel this life well worn_

_No matter the cost, no matter how long_

_We will leave our footprints behind..._

Jane, Elphaba, Adam, and the rest joined in. The plants continued to grow.

_And carry on_

_Carry on,_

_Carry on,_

_Carry on,_

_Some will write you off before you ever start_

_Some will say this journey is just too hard_

_Somewhere between right here and the other side_

_There will be fear and doubt in the deep dark night_

_But we will survive, yeah_

_No one said this would ever be easy, my love_

_But I will be by your side when the impossible rises up_

_We will travel this life well worn_

_No matter the cost, no matter how long_

_We'll leave our footprints behind_

_And carry on_

_Carry on_

_Carry on_

_Carry on_

_We may fall behind_

_Lose miles along this road_

_We will be alright_

_I will never let you go!_

_No one said this would ever be easy, my love_

_But I will be by your side when the impossible rises up_

_We will travel this life well worn_

_No matter the cost, no matter how long!_

_We'll leave our footprints behind_

_And carry on_

_And carry on."_

Everyone else stopped, leaving just Rapunzel.

"_And carry on…" _

The crowd exploded into whoops and cheers. Elsa couldn't stop grinning. She ran over to hug her best friend.

"You did it," she murmured into Rapunzel's ear as the crowd cheered. "You did it."

Rapunzel had tears shining in her eyes. "I did it," she repeated.

No, not tears. She had the stars in her eyes.

{FAST FORWARD: JANE'S SONG}

Elsa readied herself once again to sing for Jane. She wore the same outfit, yet she felt different.

Her knees didn't shake quite so much. Her feet felt more firmly planted on the floor.

She prepared to be drenched.

Jane's set was a Suburbian street, houses lining up behind her, stormy gray clouds gathering above her head. The road was horizontal from stage right to stage left.

Jane took center stage. Jack, Elsa, Rapunzel, and Wendy stood behind her.

Jane began to sing.

"_I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined_

_I'm just beginning- The pen's in my hand, ending unplanned_

_Staring at the blank page before you_

_Open up the dirty window_

_Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find_

_Reaching, for something in the distance_

_So close you can almost taste it_

_Release your inhibitions_

The chorus joined in.

_Feel the rain on your skin, no one else can feel it for you_

_Only you can let it in_

_No one else, no one else can speak the words on your lips_

_Drench yourself in words unspoken, live your life with arms wide open_

_Today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten_

_I break tradition_

_Sometimes my tries are outside the lines_

_We've been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can't live that way, no_

_Staring at the blank page before you_

_Open up the dirty window_

_Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find_

_Reaching for something in the distance_

_So close you can almost taste it_

_Release your inhibitions_

_Feel the rain on your skin, no one else can feel it for you_

_Only you can let it in_

_No one else, no one else can speak the words on your lips_

_Drench yourself in words unspoken_

_Live your life with arms wide open_

_Today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten_

_Feel the rain on your skin_

_No one else can feel it for you_

_Only you can let it in_

_No one else, no one else can speak the words on your lips_

_Drench yourself in words unspoken_

_Live your life with arms wide open_

_Today is where your book begins_

_The rest is still unwritten_

The chorus began to shout, louder than before.

_Staring at the blank page before you_

_Open up the dirty window_

_Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find_

_Reaching for something in the distance_

_So close you can almost taste it_

_Release your inhibitions_

_Feel the rain on your skin_

Drops of water began to come down from the ceiling onto the performers.

_No one else can feel it for you_

It began to pour. Elsa began to smile and laugh as she sang.

_Only you can let it in_

More singers ran onstage- their entire Chorus class- and they began to dance, Jane still in front. It was wet, it was loud, it was the best thing Elsa had ever experienced.

_No one else, no one else can speak the words on your lips_

_Drench yourself in words unspoken_

_Live your life with arms wide open_

_Today is where your book begins_

_Feel the rain on your skin_

_No one else can feel it for you_

_Only you can let it in_

_No one else, no one else can speak the words on your lips_

_Drench yourself in words unspoken_

_Live your life with arms wide open_

_Today is where your book begins- the rest is still unwritten_

_The rest is still unwritten_

_The rest is still unwritten_

With each singer in a final pose, the audience erupted in cheers and whistles. The singers jogged off the slippery stage to get some dry towels.

{FAST FORWARD- JACK'S SONG}

For the third and final time that night, Elsa was singing backups. This time, to Jack's chorus.

On his set, a front yard to a replica of Elsa's old Blessed house (where she had lived with her parents), which she had described for him, he stood in front of the chorus singers standing on her old porch.

Jack began to sing.

"_Well I'm so above you- and it's plain to see_

_But I came to love you anyway_

_So you tore my heart out, and I don't mind bleeding_

_Any old time to keep me waiting, waiting, waiting_

The singers on the porch kicked in, harmonizing.

_Oh, oh-oh-oh, I got a love that keeps me waiting_

_Oh, oh-oh-oh, I got a love that keeps me waiting_

_I'm a lonely boy_

_I'm a lonely boy_

An ice cube began separating him from the other singers on Elsa's porch.

_Oh, oh-oh-oh, I got a love that keeps me waiting_

_Well your mama kept you- but your daddy left you_

_And I should've done you just the same_

_But I came to love you_

_Am I going to bleed?_

_Any old time you keep me waiting, waiting, waiting_

_Oh, oh-oh-oh, I got a love that keeps me waiting_

_Oh, oh-oh-oh, I got a love that keeps me waiting_

_I'm a lonely boy_

_I'm a lonely boy _

The ice grew thicker.

_Oh, oh-oh-oh I got a love that keeps me waiting_

_Oh, oh-oh-oh I got a love that keeps me waiting_

_Oh, oh-oh-oh, I got a love that keeps me waiting_

_I'm a lonely boy- I'm a lonely boy!_

_Oh, oh-oh-oh, I got a love that keeps me waiting! _

For a third time, the audience erupted into applause.

As Elsa jogged off the stage, she realized she had never really listened to the lyrics. Jack wasn't lonely. What did he miss? Did his father leave him, like in the song? She would have to ask later.

Because now, she had to change into her costume.

{FAST FORWARD: ELSA'S SONG}

Elsa's tightly pinned hair and suffocating dress made her feel like her old self- the one she had been in Arendelle. The tiara on her head and long gloves helped too. **(A/N Elsa is dressed how she was at her coronation.) **

Onstage, she stood alone, without a set. Her friends stood behind her, in the shadows.

The piano began to play.

Elsa began to sing.

"_The snow glows white on the mountain tonight_

_Not a footprint to be seen._

_A kingdom of isolation,_

_and it looks like I'm the Queen._

_The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside_

_Couldn't keep it in; heaven knows I've tried_

_Don't let them in, don't let them see_

_Be the good girl you always have to be_

_Conceal, don't feel,_

_don't let them know_

_Well now they know_

_Let it go, let it go_

Snow shot from her hands.

_Can't hold it back anymore_

_Let it go, let it go_

She created a mountain on the other side of the stage.

_Turn away and slam the door_

_I don't care what they're going to say_

_Let the storm rage on._

_The cold never bothered me anyway._

_It's funny how some distance_

_Makes everything seem small_

_And the fears that once controlled me_

_Can't get to me at all_

She formed an icy stairway up the mountain. She ran up it, grinning as she sang.

_It's time to see what I can do_

_To test the limits and break through_

_No right, no wrong, no rules for me,_

_I'm free!_

_Let it go, let it go_

_I am one with the wind and sky_

Wind whipped around her, making her cape fly as she threw it off.

_Let it go, let it go_

She swept her hands across the stage, leveling out the snow.

_You'll never see me cry_

_Here I stand_

_And here I'll stay_

_Let the storm rage on_

_My power flurries through the air into the ground_

She stomped her foot and raised her hands, forming an icy castle around her.

_My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around_

She re-created her dress into a crystal blue one with a fluttery cape.

_And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast_

_I'm never going back, the past is in the past!_

She threw off her tiara, tugged on her hair, setting it free.

_Let it go, let it go_, she shouted at the audience, her chorus singing with her.

_And I'll rise like the break of dawn_

_Let it go, let it go_

_That perfect girl is gone_

_Here I stand_

_In the light of day_

_Let the storm rage on_

_The cold never bothered me anyway_

The audience was silent. Faced stared up at Elsa, mouths open.

Then the audience began to roar. It was deafening.

Elsa felt happy tears roll down her cheeks. Rapunzel ran up to her screaming, "You did it! You did it! I'm so proud of you! You did it!"

Elsa couldn't speak. Her throat had a lump in it.

Mr. Opus walked back onstage. "And that's the end of our performances, folks! Let's give our students one last hand!"

Cheers came from the audience.

Mr. Opus beckoned Elsa, Rapunzel, Jack, Jane, and a few others over. "These are some of my top students here. But can you believe Elsa's been here for only two months?"

Roars came from the crowd. Elsa blushed.

"I have to thank all my students and you people, too. Without you, there would be no show!"

More cheers.

"Now, parents, please wait for students to come to you. Don't try to find them, or we'll have a mob. Unless you have some plan with your kids. Then stick to it. Unless it was finding them. I'd like ninth-period students and parents to stay behind. Now, goodnight everyone!"

Elsa gave the crowd one last wave and exited stage left. Her friends were ahead.

After everyone else left save the ninth period kids, Mr. Opus made an announcement. "Guys, I'm proud of you all. I gave you guys a huge challenge. Are you all ready for a possibly even bigger one?"

Heads bobbed in excitement.

"Well, you'll have to wait until Monday then!"

Groans echoed around the room.

"Have a great weekend, and you all did great! No homework! Go home! Leave! Shoo!"

Cheers as the crowd dispersed.

Madison walked up to Elsa with Carter in tow. "Elsa! You were amazing!" she said, wrapping her up in a hug. Elsa could see her crying.

Carter nodded. "That was a great show," he told her. He gave her a bouquet of roses.

"Thanks," said Elsa. She wiped a tear from her eye.

Madison released her. "Hey, do you want to ask your friends over?" she asked her.

Elsa nodded. "I'll ask them."

She approached Rapunzel first. "Do you guys want to come over to my house?" she asked shyly.

Rapunzel looked toward two adults behind her. "Can we?" she asked them.

"I don't see why not," responded the man. The woman nodded.

"I'm William Corona," said the man. "You can call me Will."

"I'm Paisley," said the woman. "Call me Paisley." Everyone laughed.

Elsa walked them over to Madison and Carter. "Madison, Carter, these are Rapunzel's parents." The Coronas began introducing themselves as Elsa and Rapunzel went to corner Jack, Jane, Elphaba, Adam, Kristoff, and Merida's families.

If anything, it was a great night.


	17. Surprise!

***Hello, my lovelies!* **

**Reviews: **

**Part Seventeen: Surprise!**

{Jack}

A letter? Jack never got letters.

Ever.

He slit the top with a letter opener.

_Dear Jakob, _

What? Oh, they must have the wrong address. Yes, that must be it.

But he couldn't keep himself from reading further.

_I've finally found you. I've been searching for weeks. _

_Wait, you would be called Jack now. Let me fix that… _

_Dear Jack, _

Maybe they did have the right address. He checked the envelope. Yup, 428 Ellis Street. It was for him, too.

_I've finally found you. I've been searching for weeks. _

_I'm writing to ask you to meet me at the Suburb and West Arendelle border tomorrow (5/1) at one o'clock in the morning. Please don't tell anyone you're coming. Bring an empty knapsack with you- I have some things you may want to keep. _

_Love, _

_Anna Summers, your younger sister _

Summers… why was that name familiar?

But he knew he'd attend the meeting. Tomorrow night.

{Elsa}

The doorbell rang. Elsa forced herself from her warm, cozy bed to answer it.

It was Rapunzel, obviously. She answered with a grin that was _way _too bright for morning. "Hey!"

"What are you doing here? It's only nine!" said Elsa, stretching.

"Well, I thought… we could have a day out? As celebration? I mean, you'd get dressed first, but…" she trailed off.

Elsa stretched again. "That sounds good," she said. "Come on up."

The two girls climbed the stairs to Elsa's bedroom. "Can I look through your clothes?" asked Rapunzel.

"Okay," responded Elsa, still half-asleep. She put on some deodorant and brushed her hair, leaving it in the ponytail she had worn for Rapunzel, Jane and Jack's performance last night.

Rapunzel turned around, holding a pair of light blue jeans and a lacey white tank top. "Ooh, those are so cute!" she squealed.

"A bit summery, don't you think?" laughed Elsa.

"Fine. How about… this?" Rapunzel squealed again, this time holding a pair of dark brown lace-up wedges, a darker pair of jeans, and a white button-down.

"Sure," said Elsa, slipping the clothes on. She grabbed her favorite blue purse, threw on a tan trench coat, and followed Rapunzel out the door, after leaving Madison and Carter a note.

{LATER THAT DAY}

It had been a really fun day. They had gone to the movies (twice), done some clothes shopping, stopped by a cafe, debated about what Mr. Opus's next challenge would be, debated Scar (Lion King) vs Jafar (Aladdin) vs Hades (Hercules), from all the movies they had watched ("Hades is a god," Elsa had argued. "But Jafar is hot!" countered Rapunzel.), and more things like that.

They arrived back at Elsa's at four. The house was exactly how Elsa had left it- which she found odd. Madison and Carter typically turned the lights on in the morning. She led Rapunzel through the silent house into the kitchen.

{Jack}

"Quick, they're going to be back in twenty minutes!" yelled Madison. "Jack, take the presents upstairs!" Jack grabbed them and bolted up to Elsa's room to hide them.

He dumped the gifts on the bed and turned to dash out. But before he could, something caught his eye.

A picture frame.

Jack walked over to it and picked it up. It was a photo of what Jack assumed was Elsa and her younger sister Anna. She had told Jack about the flashbacks, and how Anna was usually in them.

Elsa was younger, much younger. Maybe seven or eight? She was laughing in the picture, still a blissful younger girl. Anna was laughing, too, her hair a coppery red. But it had a white stripe, slinking through one of her braids.

_Oh. _Elsa hadn't told him about that directly… but he had figured it out anyway.

He smiled at the two little girls. Forever trapped in that moment, mid-laugh.

He could see why Elsa had kept it.

{Elsa}

As they walked into the living room, Rapunzel flicked on the switch.

Elsa nearly died.

"SURPRISE!" yelled Rapunzel, Jack, Jane, Adam, Merida, Kristoff, Elphaba, Wendy, Madison, and Carter, leaping out from behind furniture and blowing party whistles.

"Wha-what?" shrieked Elsa.

"Yesterday was your birthday, silly! You're seventeen now!" yelled Rapunzel.

"I am?"

"YES!" the entire room yelled back at her.

Elsa started to cry. "I LOVE YOU GUYS!" she yelled.

"WE LOVE YOU TOO!"

{Jack- twelve forty-five the next morning}

Jack opened Elsa's window and formed a snowy path down as he leapt. He abolished the stairway and began to slink between the shadows, making his way to the border.

He checked his watch when he arrived. 12:58. He had a few minutes.

He leaned against a tree.

"So you _are_ my brother," said a voice from the shadows. Jack jumped.

"Hurry up, I've got a birthday party to get back to," he told her.

She emerged from the shadows.

She had coppery-red hair, done up in braids. She had slight bangs slanting against her forehead. Her cheeks had a splattering of freckles- or more than that- splashed onto her cheeks. Her eyes were wide and green. Her skin was just barely sun-kissed.

And her right braid had a white streak flashing through.

It was the girl from the picture.

"Oh no," Jack stammered. "It can't be you!"

"What about me?" asked Anna.

"She's my _friend_-"

"Who's your friend?"

"Does she know? Probably not-"

"Who are we talking about?" exploded Anna.

"Elsa," Jack said.

Anna's face went white. "You know Elsa?"

"How could I not know Elsa? She's one of my best friends! And now she's my sister?"

"I suppose," responded Anna.

"But- you can't be my sister."

"Why not? There's plenty of proof."

"Like what?"

"When's your birthday?"

"January thirteenth-"

"Who else had a birthday yesterday?"

_Elsa. _

"Who looks a lot like you?"

_Elsa. _

"Who has almost the same talents as you?"

_Elsa. _

"Who all lived in West Arendelle, once?"

_Jack, Anna, and… Elsa. _

"And these health records," said Anna, pulling a laminated paper from her pocket.

It all matched up.

"I guess you're right, then," said Jack softly.

There was a silence. Then, "What happened to our parents?" he asked.

Anna's face twisted with pain. "They're dead."

"Oh. Right. I knew that."

Silence.

"How's Elsa?" Anna asked quietly. Anger mostly gone now, but a slightly heavier breathing rate. He chose his words carefully.

"She's doing great! She totally broke out of her shell, especially last night at the show. She's nice and funny and beautiful, and she sang her heart out last night."

"Sang?" Anna questioned.

"Oh, of course you wouldn't know what that means. Er, like this-" He sang her a little ditty.

"That was beautiful," Anna told him. She was smiling. Most of her madness gone now.

"Thanks," Jack responded. Now that she smiled, looked happy, Jack was beginning to see the resemblance. She looked a lot like Elsa. The same facial shape, the same eyelashes, the same eyebrows, the same smile.

"What did they look like?" Jack asked softly. "Our parents, I mean."

Anna took out the journal and picked out two pieces of paper tucked into the binding. She handed them to him without a word.

His mother looked a lot like Anna, with slightly darker hair and a pretty smile. His father was smiling, too.

But neither looked like him or Elsa.

"Why is that?" he voiced.

"Why is what?" asked Anna, with her odd formal manner. Come to think of it, the same one Elsa, Jane, Kristoff had all once had when they had first arrived.

"Why we look so… different."

"Oh." Said Anna. "I don't know. I've wondered, sometimes, why Elsa and I looked so different. Now you bring it up again, and I cannot help but notice you don't resemble Mother or Father at all."

"Weird," said Jack thoughtfully. Anna smiled as she nodded.

"I suppose I'll look into it." Anna thought out loud. "I've never heard of this predicament before. It will be satisfying to find the answer."

A silence.

"Well, it was nice meeting you-" Jack turned away. His mind was overloaded, and he couldn't concentrate on any one thought. _Elsa's my sister. _

"Jakob." Anna caught his arm. "Er, Jack. Will you come tomorrow?"

He turned around.

"I guess so."

***And so, it's confirmed! Jack is Elsa's twin brother! **

**How many minds does that blow? **

**What do you guys think Mr. Opus's next challenge will be?* **


	18. Explode

***Hello, everyone! Less drama now, as we accept the fact that two of the three siblings know… wait… what about the third? Uh-oh...* **

**Reviews:**

**RavenQueenFan2605: Woohoo! Thanks for the support! **

**Guest: Will do! Glad for the enthusiasm! YAY. **

**Part 18: Explode**

Jack went back the next night. And the next. And the next. So often, his schoolwork was beginning to take a dive into the deep end.

So often, the school assigned Elsa to be his tutor.

"Listen," Elsa coached, "you just need to take a closer look. When you are conjugating-"

Jack threw up his hands. "I'm looking as closely as I can! There's nothing there!"

Elsa remained calm. "Jack-"

He stood and pushed his chair out from behind him. He stormed from the library, pacing the halls.

Jeez. Where had that come from?

He was kidding himself. He knew exactly where it had come from. He hated keeping something that huge from Elsa. They were siblings. She didn't know that. She had nothing to worry about. Which meant he was left to figure this all out by himself. To figure out his broken family- no parents, the siblings separated, one of his sisters mad, the other believing them to be friends, not family.

He looked back inside the room through the windows. Elsa was sitting there, stunned, looking slightly hurt. But sitting nonetheless, waiting for him to return.

God. He had had such a simple life, just a regular Suburbian teenager with no worries except for school and who he would be hanging out with the next day. Not like that was ever a hard question either. He had always hung out with the same people. Rapunzel, Elphaba, Kristoff, Adam, Merida.

Speaking of Merida, he hadn't heard from her recently. She had disappeared from the map; poof! Jack had seen her the night of the Festival, and at Elsa's party, but since then, she had been strangely absent from school. Her parents were worried sick. It seemed almost as though she had been kidnapped.

Jack ran a hand through his shock of white hair, making it stick up. He needed to go back in there and apologize to Elsa.

"I'm sorry," he burst out, as soon as he was back inside.

Elsa gave him a look. "Patience is all you need, Jack. But why explode?"

Jack sighed. "I'm tired. Late nights." Which, if he thought about it, was true.

Elsa gave him a sympathetic smile. "Been there."

"When?" Jack questioned. As far as he knew, she always went to bed on time, all homework done.

"Back in Chicago."

"Oh." He didn't need to press her further. Although, sometimes he wondered exactly what had happened back then; when he had been absent from their lives. Had Elsa really tried to murder Anna? Jack didn't want to believe it. But Anna had been so sure. Hans, she had said, was one of the most trustworthy people she knew.

Hans didn't seem very trustworthy to Jack, although he wasn't willing to tell Anna that.

"Well, anyway, I'm sorry, Essie," he said, using a nickname he had recently decided on for her.

Elsa smiled at the affection. "We were just finishing up, anyway." The two gathered their books and stood from the library table just as the bell rang. The two had gotten permission to spend eighth period studying. Mostly because Elsa never participated in Gym anyway; her arm might be healed, talent-wise, but it was still pretty nasty. Elsa almost always sat out.

The two headed to Chorus excitedly; Mr. Opus was going to announce the latest challenge today.

{Elsa}

The two walked into the room to see Mr. Opus already waiting anxiously at the door. "Hurry, hurry, hurry!" he yelled, almost shoving his students in the door.

"Oof!" Elsa and Jack collided on their way in, crashing into the seats. Elsa winced at the scraping sound they made.

But Mr. Opus took no notice. "In, in, in!" he yelled.

Finally, the bell rang again and he shut the door behind him, almost slamming it. The entire class was silent.

Mr. Opus relaxed a little. "Sorry, guys, I'm just excited. Whoops." The class tittered.

"ANYWAY," he boomed, "I have your next challenges prepared."

A hush came over the room. If this next challenge was anything like the Festival challenge, Elsa would like it."

"A musical," he breathed.

What? A musical?

"A story told by song," he said, folding his hands together and looking up at the ceiling. He brought his attention back to the class.

"We're putting one on. Some of you, dear students, have become rusty in the emotion department of your singing. So the best way to get it back is to sing it with a story."

Elsa's eyes went wide. When she looked at her friends, the entire class for that matter, they mirrored her expression.

"Let's see here. You guys are putting on…" Mr. Opus scanned a piece of paper on his desk behind him. "... the Lion King."

Elsa took in a breath sharply. She looked at Rapunzel, doing the same thing as her. Elsa started

to hyperventilate.

"I'm holding auditions next week. Until then, you will all be learning how to audition for this with a few of my friends who have been in musicals before. I'm not going to be seeing you, to avoid being biased."

Oh. My. Goodness.

They were putting on _the Lion King. _

"Now, keep this all very hush-hush," said Mr. Opus, tapping a finger to his lips. He then mimed zipping them shut and throwing away the key. "We are the only class doing this. If anyone asks, we're doing a rap unit, okay?"

"Now, we will discuss the characters. First, we start with our protagonist, Simba."

They spent the rest of class getting in-depth with the characters- Simba, Nala, Mufasa, Zazu, Scar, the hyenas, Sarabi, Sarafina, the three singing birds, Timon, Pumbaa, and Rafiki.

By the end of class, she was nearly ready to explode.

***Short chapter! Sorry… **

**So, what do we think? I was also in this musical a few years back, so no worries, I'm qualified. I know my stuff. Questions for ya'll: **

**Who do you think our wonderful protagonists will end up playing? (Elsa, Rapunzel, Jack, Jane, Elphaba, Adam?) **

**Which character listed above is your favorite? **

**Well, see ya, remember to review!**


	19. Pretenders

***Hey hey hey!* **

**Reviews: **

**RavenQueenFan2605: You have a way of making me laugh, and I obviously did again, because I get the same face… and I like the predictions. **

**Beginning this chapter is a series of flashbacks, telling the story of the pre-Blessed timeline, just to keep things interesting while we slow it down a teeny bit. Okay? Okay!**

**Part 19: Pretenders**

Rapunzel was sitting on a desk. Listening to one of her best friends sing, preparing for the upcoming auditions. They were in a spare classroom after school, rehearsing one more time before going home.

"Can you feel the love tonight?" Elsa sang.

"Stop. Cut! Cut! Stop the track!" Rapunzel yelled, jumping from her seat and waving her arms. Elsa laughed at her ridiculous expression.

"See! That, right there!" she exclaimed. She stuck her finger in Elsa's face. "Emotion! Real, actual emotion, not the voice of a robot!"

"Is that why it sounds flat?" asked Elsa.

"YES!"

"Oooh…" Elsa made a thoughtful face.

"Maybe we should move on," said Rapunzel. "NEXT!"

A smiling Elsa said, "What next?"

"You choose. As long as it's a Timon or Pumbaa song," she commanded.

"Let's see… what songs do Timon and Pumbaa sing?" asked Elsa, putting a hand to her forehead.

Rapunzel threw a pencil at her. "You know perfectly well, you doofus!"

{Hans}

Anna sat, panting heavily, a strange gleam in her eyes. Hans was beginning to rethink the level of heartbreak he'd given her; Hans was almost positive Anna wasn't in the same mental state she'd been back when she was in Blessed Academy or Blessed Preparatory, back when she was, you know, sane.

She was ranting and raving at this encounter she's had with someone he didn't know. Then she stopped suddenly and asked, "Hans, what is 'singing'?"

"What?"

"Singing. Someone told me about it once. He said it went like this…" She did an odd thing with her vocal cords, changing her voice to a melodic state that matched the kindergarten teacher's back at Blessed Academy. But prettier.

And much more dangerous.

"Stop, Anna," he told her.

"Why?"

"Because it's dangerous."

"What's dangerous about it?"

"It's not regular. Not supposed to happen. Who told you about this?"

"Someone," Anna mumbled.

"WHO?"

"A person," she muttered.

"Names, Anna. Names."

"Mmm-mmm," she refused, shaking her head violently. Her eyes had a dangerous glint to them.

"Anna…"

"NO." Forcefully.

"Fine." He dropped the topic, intending to bring it up sometime in the future.

{Elsa}

Elsa laid back on her pillow and sighed. It had been a regular old day. Sure, she had been practicing with Rapunzel for auditions. But other than that, a wonderfully regular little day.

She turned on her music device and set it on _Shuffle. _

_What if I say I'm not like the others?_

_What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?_

_You're the pretender!_

_What if I say that I'll never surrender?_

_What if I say I'm not like the others?_

_What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?_

_You're the pretender!_

_What if I say I will never surrender?_

_Flashback One _

_Jack- Jakob at the time _

A bright light shone above the little boy's sleepy eyes. He blinked, seeing the sunlight pierce his window curtain. The door behind his little bed creaked open, and a woman with coppery red-brown hair and a pretty smile stood there.

"Good morning, Jakob," she said. He smiled, recognizing the name that came from her lips. It was his. His very own name, something he didn't have to share with _anyone. _Not like cookies or toys or hairbrushes or bedrooms.

She walked over and picked him up, setting him in her lap. He rested his small head against her round stomach, feeling the warmth inside. A little thump came into his ear, along with a slight pressure.

He jerked up a tiny bit, giving his mother a questioning glance. She smiled. "That's your younger sibling, Jakob."

"Wike Ezzie?" he asked, thumb halfway into his mouth. _Like Essie?_

"Just like Essie."

He stared at her stomach in wonder. "Did oo eayt?" _Did you eat it?_

"No, Jakob." His mother laughed. "They live in there until they're born." She patted her tummy.

"Oh." Jakob was still confused. Why would babies live in tummies? It made no sense.

Elsa in the bed next to him stirred, light locks of hair falling into her face. She sneezed in her sleep.

Jakob saw his mother give Essie a loving glance. Why was she paying attention to Essie, when Jakob was right there?!

He started to bounce up and down in his mother's lap. "Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh!" he said with every bounce. _This-is-so-much-fun! _

"Oof!" she laughed. "C'mon, you, let's get some breakfast and let your sister sleep."

She lifted Jakob onto her shoulder and carried him out the door. Just before she closed the door behind him, he got one last glance at his sleeping sister.

_Flashback Two _

_Hans _

"Hello, Mother," said a young Hans as he walked into the kitchen after a day at Blessed Academy, the school for the newest generation of the Blessed children living in Chicago.

"Hello, Hans," said his Mother uncomfortably. Hans, always a perceptive child, picked up on it immediately.

"What is the matter, Mother?" he asked. "Where is everyone else? Why did Henry not arrive to walk me home from school today?"

Mother sighed. "Henry is gone, child." She stated it matter-of-factly. All emotion was drained from her body as soon as the words left her lips, and she slumped in exhaustion.

"Gone?"

Mother threw him a look. "Away, off, left, however you may say it," she snapped.

"Oh." Henry was gone. That meant _shipped to the Suburbs _in the Westerguard household.

It wasn't the first time a sibling had been sent away to the vicious land of the Others. Hans walked to his bedroom, trying to keep his childish fists from clenching. Henry had been his favorite brother. He had even told Hans of the oddity. He had told Hans he would never, ever leave him.

Henry had lied.

Henry had broken his heart.

Henry had stomped on the pieces and laughed in his face.

Why did his family suffer such embarrassment? Henry was the fourth brother to leave them. If the pace kept up… Hans would be the only one left of the original sixteen brothers.

He vowed to not take all of the abuse quietly. He would surpass his tarnished family name. He would become a model Blessed. People would be so in awe of him, they would forget his ruined family.

He had admired Henry once, idolized him. Loved the power he was in control of, so exquisite and alien it was beyond belief; making flowers bloom across the yard spontaneously. Their flowers were always the most beautiful, always bloomed longest. Always been vibrant and alive, like Henry. Always, always, always.

He hated the flowers.

He ran outside, not caring for the slammed door or unfinished mathematics homework. He stomped on every flower Henry had ever made bloom, come alive. He smashed the petals into the ground, ripped out stems murderously. He continued his rampage until every little bit of Henry was gone. He caught his mother watching in the window with a look of approval.

_Never again, _young Hans vowed. _Never again will a person destined to be Outcast love me. I hate them, I hate them, I hate them! _

In the future, some people would refer to this event as Han's spiral into darkness and anger.

Hans referred to it as the beginning of his path to greatness, to his destiny.

_Flashback Three _

_Merida _

A young Merida was upset.

"I'm sorry!" Aida called after her. But Merida ignored her. Heart pounding, she bolted up the stairs, slamming her bedroom door behind her.

Why would her older sister call her a Nobody? She wasn't a Nobody!

Right? Wasn't she?

Merida sobbed into her pillow. _You have no talent, Merida, _Aida had taunted. _Not like me! Or most other people here! Even the Blessed have _something!

Aida was eleven. Aida was always taunting six-year-old Merida. Why didn't she taunt their younger brothers instead? The triplets? It would be so much easier that way…

"Merida, honey," came a light, lilting voice. Her bedroom door creaked open a crack. "May I come in?"

"Mmmm," Merida mumbled into her pillow.

"I'll take that as a yes." Her mother, a beautiful lady with loose, flowing long brown hair walked into the room and sat on her daughter's bed, rubbing her back as she continued to cry. "Shh, shh, honey, come here," said her mother, and Merida fled into her arms. Mother rubbed her flaming red hair, usually shockingly bright, but limp in the absence of the girl's usual joy.

"That was a terrible thing for Aida to say," Mother told Merida. "You're aren't nobody."

"Not nobody, a Nobody, Mother. Someone powerless," said a teary Merida. "She says I'm powerless."

"What?" asked a surprised Mother. "You're not powerless, babe."

"But I can't do anything," Merida told her. "See?" She waved her arms around for effect. "Nothing."

"Merida, some things take longer to come to you. Oftentimes they end up being much more powerful than for the children who develop theirs very young. And Aida is eleven to your six."

"What could I get?"

"Since most things are hereditary, something we've had. We've had a few Morphs, a Peacer once-"

"Hurr-eh-dih-turr-eeeeeeeee?" Merida sounded out.

"Her- eh- di- tayr- ee," corrected Mother. "Passed on from parents to children."

"Oh."

"But there are many things you could end up with. Just be patient, my darling." Mother drew her hand around Merida's sweet face, caressing it. "And even if you end up with nothing, I will still love you."

"Really?"

"Of course. Nothing would stop me from it."

Merida hugged her mother, feeling much better. "Me neither."

"Now," said Mother, "I do believe we need some cookies to celebrate! What kind?"

"Chocolate-chip!" yelled Merida joyfully.

"Splendid choice!" said Mother, and the two held hands as they ran down the stairs to bake sweets together.

***Wow. Very different childhoods. And there were some deep meanings in there… when you are young, VERY, like Jakob, all you want is love and attention, and you're fine. Hans and Merida grew up in very different environments, and see how they flourish. One wants to be normal, and so does the other… but normal is different for both of them. And then see how different their home lives are… Love is a powerful thing, my friends. **

**Oh, why did Merida have a POV? I feel like I've been neglecting everyone except for Elsa, Rapunzel, Jack, Anna, and Hans (maybe Jane too) and a few of them (like Merida) have some tales in tales to play out. So Adam, Elphaba, Kristoff; you should see more of them soon. I also put her in to begin her tale. Plus, I enjoy this side of her, as a little girl. She's fun to write this way. **

**Song: The Pretenders by the Foo Fighters**

**Anyway, see you guys next time!* **

_How did you like the flashbacks? _


	20. Beasts and Reindeers

***Aaaaaand… I'm back!* **

**Reviews: **

**RavenQueenFan2605: You're welcome! And… well, same. Future pairings? Well, about that… *pretends to zip lips and throw away the key* Sorry! You'll see! **

**SnowQueen: Likewise. I like that idea… and here's Elphaba for you! **

**Guest: Yes, this is like a school paper here- deep ideas and such. And, if they have no creativity, if they're made to love their current society, who's going to rebel? The people who have the creativity- the Suburbians. Ta-da, mind blown! Mine, anyway. **

**chinluv: Good! Here's more for ya!**

**Part 20: Beasts and Reindeers**

_Flashback Four _

_Adam _

Thirteen-year-old Adam clenched his fists. Beast was pounding his hairy fists against Adam's skull, giving him a huge migraine.

Adam hadn't always had Beast raging inside his head. It had started last year, when a big dog had leapt out at him from behind a bush, scaring the crap out of him. That night, a voice had begun whispering inside his head, asking very politely to be let out. Adam had dubbed him Beast.

Adam had refused him then, and Adam refused him now. After a year and a half of pleading, Beast was growing frustrated and resorting to pain. Threats. Beast was making him sick inside. He never slept anymore. He constantly responded to Beast out loud, startling others during, say, a mathematics test. He was always wincing from Beast screaming inside of him and punching the inside of his head. He was always zoning out, from said lack of sleep. He was on edge, pushing people away, not that he'd had any friends to begin with, being a loner in his Ontario community. He was slowly being driven mad. All of this was caused by Beast; all of this because the Beast wanted out of Adam's head, to be let loose on Ontario. Adam couldn't allow that to happen.

He shouted terrible words to his seemingly empty room. Beast was practicing his kickboxing now.

{Elsa}

Elsa was brimming with nerves. Today was audition day.

A line had formed outside of Mr. Opus's door, each student with a sticky piece of paper on their shirts. Each paper had a number. Elsa was number twenty-seven. She would be the last to go.

She muttered verses under her breath, warming up.

Rapunzel, number twenty-six, elbowed her. "Hey. You're gonna do great."

Elsa gave a nervous shrug. The next group of seven entered the room as the former batch exited, looking exhausted. They immediately picked up their backpacks and left the school.

Elsa tapped her foot to the beat. Two more groups to go in, then hers- Elsa, Rapunzel, Jack, Jane, Adam, and Elphaba had all managed to get in a group together. Numbered twenty-two to twenty-seven, they were all anxious. Even Rapunzel was tapping her foot a little. Only Elphaba seemed unfazed; but then, Elphaba wasn't fazed by anything.

After another twenty or so minutes of foot-tapping, the group before them emerged, looking tired but happy. "NEXT!" Mr. Opus called from his room.

Elsa's group shuffled inside, still loosening up their shoulders as they warmed up. They stood in a line facing Mr. Opus in numerical order, with Elsa being last in line.

Elphaba, being Elphaba, went first. She sang the girl's audition song, "Circle of Life", loudly, dramatically, and with lots of arm motions. Then, she and Adam sang the Both Genders audition song, "Can You Feel The Love Tonight?". Adam, next in line, sang "Be Prepared", the boy's song.

Jane sang the girl song. She and Jack sang the both song. Jack sang the boy's audition song.

Finally, only her and Rapunzel were left. Rapunzel sang "Circle of Life". Jack sang Simba's part with her during "Can You Feel The Love Tonight?". Then, Elsa was up for the girl's song.

She drew in a shaky breath and began.

"_From the day we arrive on this planet _

_and blinking, step into the sun, _

_There's more to see than can ever be seen, _

_more to do than can ever be done." _

As she went along, her voice became more sure, more powerful. By the end, she had forgotten where she was and belting.

The song ended, with a smiling Elsa standing triumphantly.

She and Adam then sang the duet, with no problems.

"Great job, everyone!" said Mr. Opus, applauding them. "Go on, applaud yourselves."

The six obliged, clapping for a few seconds.

"Now, I'm going to pass out these scripts. They depict one of the scenes in the very beginning. I want Jack to read Scar, Adam, you do Mufasa, and Jane, read Zazu, please. Do your best to act them out as you go along. I'll give you a minute to read them over before you start. Heads up; I want Elphaba reading Scar, Rapunzel Zazu, and Elsa Mufasa next round, okay? Ready, and… go!"

Each auditionee began scanning his or her lines, doing their best to absorb them. Elsa felt a little silly as she scanned Mufasa's lines; they all said things like "my son" and stuff like that, constantly referring to Mufasa's title and gender.

"All right, Jack, Adam, Jane, come on up!"

"Oh look now, Zazu, you've made me lose my lunch," sneered Jack, adopting a simper to his mischievous face.

"Hah! You will lose more than that when the King-" Jane said pompously.

"Oh… I'm quivering with fear."

"Scar… do not look at me that way… HELP!" Jane yelled, shying away from Jack.

"Scar!" Adam shouted at Jack.

"Mmm-hmm?" Jack mumbled, feigning that his mouth was full.

"Drop him."

"Fine," grumbled Jack, and Jane collapsed on the floor.

The short scene went on like this, and the room applauded the performers when they finished.

"Next group, please," Mr. Opus said.

"Oh, _look _now, Zazu, you've made me lose my lunch," Elphaba said mockingly.

"Ha! You'll lose more than _that _when our strong, courageous King gets through with you!" Rapunzel sniffed, sticking her nose up high.

"Oh… I'm just quivering with _fear…" _

"Scar… why are you looking at me that way… HEEEELLLP!"

"SCAR!" Elsa thundered, feeling quite silly.

"Mmm-hmmmmmm?" Elphaba called back.

"Drop him."

"Impeccable timing, Your Majesty," Rapunzel squeaked, darting away from Elphaba.

"Why, if it isn't my big brother descending from his throne to mingle with the commoners," Elphaba said, oozing sarcasm.

"Sarabi and I didn't see you at the presentation of Simba, Scar," Elsa said, frowning.

"OH NO, that was TODAY? I must have forgotten! I feel simply _awful," _Elphaba drawled.

This went on, Elsa feeling even more ridiculous as she and Elphaba pantomimed roaring and fighting with each other in front of their friends and teacher. She hoped she wasn't cast as Mufasa in the musical.

"And just think, Sire! When he gets dirty in his rug-form, you can take him out and beat him!"

"Zazu…" Elsa warned, laughing. The scene ended, and everyone applauded again.

"Thank you, actors and tresses," Mr. Opus said, "that will be all. You are free to leave." With that, he clicked off a recording device Elsa hadn't seen earlier on his desk. She felt a little queasy. That roaring had all been _recorded? _

_Flashback Five _

_Khris, at the time _

Khris laid in his Chicago-an backyard, animals surrounding him. "Reindeers are better than people," he told the reindeer next to him. "Sven, don't you think it's true?"

Sven gave an enthusiastic nod.

"Yeah, people will hunt you and curse you and cheat you, everyone of them's bad except you," Khris said, pretending it was Sven the reindeer saying this. He made his voice gruff and deep, supposing that's what the reindeer's voice would sound like. Not that he knew that, of course- reindeers don't talk! That would be preposterous! Conjuring them, however, was not… hm…

"Thanks, buddy," he responded to the reindeer, who promptly licked his face. "Eww! But people smell better than reindeers. Sven, don't you think I'm right?" Khris gazed at the setting sun.

"That's once again true," Khris, as Sven, answered, "for all except you."

"You got me," Khris laughed. When he looked over at the reindeer, Sven seemed to be smiling.

"Khris?" his mother yelled from the window. "Bedtime! Come inside!"

"Let's call it a night," he told Sven.

"Goodnight," he made Sven respond, before the reindeer disappeared and he ran back inside to be tucked into bed.


	21. Cinnamon Gum

***Hello, people!* **

**Reviews: **

**chinaluv: Yay! Both of us are happy! **

**SnowQueen: I did :) And Elphaba was born for that part. Other than the Wicked Witch/Wicked one… but yeah. I like your ideas. Let's see if I use any… **

**Part Twenty-One: Cinnamon Gum**

Elsa paced along with the rest of her class, inside Mr. Opus's chorus room. Last night had been auditions; today, the cast was being announced. The chorus's non-Chorus friends would have a hard time explaining the sudden burst of excitement or disappointment for the next few days, that was for sure.

For once, Rapunzel was silent. Elphaba was leaning back in her chair, smacking on some gum that Elsa could smell from where she was standing (it was cinnamon). Jack was thumb-wrestling himself as Adam commentated, albeit nervously. Jane was anxious, too. Around the room, most students were round up tight (the vast majority) while others, like Elphaba and Jack, were nonchalant (pretty much Elphaba, Jack, and two other students).

The door creaked open, and Mr. Opus strode in. The class dove into their assigned chairs, eager for his announcement.

"Boy, at least you're enthusiastic!" Mr. Opus said, attempting to distill the mood. It didn't work.

"All right then, I have the list right here. I'll read it out loud, to avoid a riot.

"Young Simba will be played by Bruno Mouse."

A short boy wearing a graphic tee pumped his fist excitedly.

"Young Nala will be played by Mary Scare."

Another short one, a girl with short black-brown hair, big eyes, and a wide smile was obviously working hard to contain herself.

"Simba will be presented as Eric King."

One of the nonchalant guys from earlier shrugged, but he was grinning.

"Nala goes to Rapunzel Corona."

Rapunzel clapped a hand over her mouth, trying not to squeal. Elsa squeezed her tightly.

"Mufasa is going to be acted by Adam Beast."

Adam's eyebrows went up by about two inches. Rapunzel squeezed his hand.

"Zazu will be shown by Elsa Marysdaughter."

_What? _Had Mr. Opus just said _Elsa _and _Zazu _in the same sentence?! She was going to be a lead?!

"Scar will be Elphaba Gravitsity," Mr. Opus continued.

Was there some kind of mistake? They were almost all leads!

As the list went on, they discovered that Jack had been cast in the ensemble and Jane would be Sarabi, Simba's mom, which Elsa thought was just perfect. Jack sighed relief as his part was cast.

"Good," he said. "I don't want to have to learn all those lines and sing all those songs."

As if on cue, Mr. Opus said over the din of chattering students, "Now, remember, young children, no part is smaller or larger than the others. And all of you will have a whole lotta songs to sing, too. I can think of a key ensemble song right now, off the top of my head."

"Which one?" a girl called out.

"Why, the wildebeest scene where the wildebeest kill Mufasa."

A few wicked grins came to people's face. "Do we really get to stomp on him?" yelled another boy.

"No, silly," Mr. Opus replied. A few sighs of disappointment came up across the room. "But some of you will get to chase each other around the theater in one pure-ensemble song."

Several faces brightened. Mr. Opus was a smart man, making them all feel important, needed.

"Now, all of you, go home and pat yourselves on the back today. Tomorrow, scripts are going to be handed out, and we are going to get to _work, _ya hear?"

The class nodded obediently. "Good."

_Flashback Six _

_Elsa _

Elsa turned and turned in her sleep, unable to fall into her usual deep slumber. Finally, she rose from her bed and rubbed her eyes. She was about to go wake her mother, to help her sleep, when she saw Jakob across from her, wide awake. His eyes glinted in the darkness.

"Essie," he whispered. His eyes dilated, absorbing as much light as they could. "Watch this."

Jakob cupped his hands together, and when he was done, a perfect tiny snowball was cupped in his hands. He sucked in a little breath of wonder as Elsa sucked in a breath of fear.

"Stop, Jakob," she whispered. "Someone might see." The twins had been warned by their parents many times over. It had scared her to see her mother's usually laughing eyes so serious and afraid.

Jakob laughed. "No one is here. I can make more." At a rapid rate, more snowballs fell to the ground as he jumped from the bed. Icy swirls of frost formed on the window. Elsa could see her breath in the air, light and delicate and gone with a blink of the eye.

"Stop," she pleaded, louder this time. "Jakob, they told us not to."

"Essie, it's fine," Jakob replied, his back turned to her. His breath was fogging up the window. When he turned back to face her, she could see the circle his breath had left behind. His eyes gleamed with a defiance that sent chills running down the little girl's back, which was very odd. Elsa never got cold.

Jakob picked up a snowball and tossed it her way. It hit her shoulder, and she flinched. "Hit me back," Jakob taunted. He threw another, this time hitting her elbow. "Let's play."

Elsa shrank back. "Jakob, please stop throwing them at me."

"No!" Jakob laughed, delighted at his own stubbornness.

Elsa jumped back into bed, using the blanket as a shield to protect her from the onslaught of snowballs. Finally, she popped back out, searching for a dry blanket as she threw the old one off. A snowball, colder and harder than all the others, hit her in the heart, so forcefully thrown that it knocked her over.

She must have hit her head on the floor, because that's when blackness welcomed her into it's cozy arms.

_Flashback Seven _

_Henry _

Henry sighed with pleasure. How good it felt to not have to hide his power anymore! People accepted him for who he was in these Suburbs. It was silly to think he had ever feared these incredible people.

He outstretched his hands into the desolate backyard of his foster family. His foster mother, Silver Mist, had always kept the ground too moist for plants in the yard with her water talents. Indeed, there was a miniature stream slicing down the middle, tadpoles evident along the edges. He concentrated, allowing his eyes to flutter shut, as he imagined plants sprouting up from the ground.

When he opened them, the yard was unrecognizable. Bright greens, pinks, yellows, and all other colors of the rainbow were everywhere. Life teemed even from the river in the form if water grasses and lily pads. Silver and Erak Hillson, his foster father, slapped behind him. Silver ran over to the waters and began splashing happily. Erak, who had a special talent of duplicating people and things, walked over and sniffed an orange rose.

It never once crossed his mind to think about how his little brother Hans was doing. How betrayed he must have felt. True, he had tried to reach him for the first week he had arrived, but all of his attempts had been discovered and never carried out. Eventually, Henry had given up and done his best to forget Hans.

Although he didn't know it, his little brother would never forget him.

_Flashback Eight _

_Rapunzel _

Young Rapunzel skipped along happily on her way to the park, cheerful and carefree, as most young children are. She was happy, that is, until she spotted a vibrant blue bird fall from the trees into the grass below.

She gasped and ran to it. It was very still, barely breathing. Carefully, she picked the bird up and swaddled him gently in her extra sweater, the maroon one she'd taken off and tied around her waist because she'd gotten lost. Without skipping this time, she turned around and walked back home, making sure not to jostle the bird. She examined it on the way, seeing that its left wing was crooked at a strange angle. It seemed to be broken.

After a few blocks, she made it back. No one was home at the moment- her mom, Paisley, was out working, and her father was volunteering at the Transfer Office. She set the unconscious bird down in an old shoebox she lined with one of her baby blankets, which she didn't need anymore, because she was all grown up. She decided the bird would stay with her until it was all better.

After all, everyone needed a helping hand once in a while.


	22. Roar

***I'm back!* **

**Reviews: **

**chinaluv: Aw thanks! Elsa as Zazu… yeah, no idea where it came from, but I love it. **

**xXzombiesteffiXx: Thanks, I really appreciate it! **

**Part 22: Roar**

Over the next few weeks, life for Elsa had settled down in a busy sort of way. Every day after school, she would attend rehearsal for the Lion King. During rehearsals, when she wasn't onstage, she was doing as much homework as she could. On weekends, she had a busy social life, which was one of the best feelings. A new one, but a favorite of hers.

Every once in a while, Mrs. Sanar would give her a checkup.

Mrs. Sanar studied her scarred delivering arm. "Yes, dear, this has really healed up quite nicely. Quickly, too. But don't get too cocky- anything too huge, and it might begin coming back, you hear me?"

Elsa nodded obediently. A return of her injury was the last thing she wanted.

Meanwhile, Jack and Anna still had many night meetings. Both enjoyed these much- they had many lively debates, and spoke of life in their respective places, and every once in a while, but not very often, Elsa. She was still unaware of she and Jack's relationship, and that Jack and

Anna had become as close as Elsa and Anna had once been. The pair teased and laughed and debated for sometimes hours into the night every few days, and at some times, there was nothing either looked forward to more.

_Flashback Nine _

_Merida _

Merida and Aida often fought, as sisters do. But over the years, the two grew apart, the arguments more and more frequent and intense. And not in that debate sort of way, that teasing kind of fight- no, the kind that gets blood boiling, the kind of argument that makes you see red. During these arguments, the rest of their family did all they could to pretend everything was normal. But the rift between the sisters soon began to affect the rest of the family. On one such occasion, Aida was beating upon a sore subject- Merida's lack of talent.

"Mother is wrong," Aida hissed. "You have no power within you." Merida, slicing up an apple, was directly in front of her, Aida's lips poised at her ear.

The accusation, not a new one, had caused Merida to whirl around, anger blazing in her eyes.

"You are wrong!" Merida shouted back. "I'll show you! I'll show everyone!"

Merida spun back around and fled out the back door. With some satisfaction, she heard it slam behind her. She saw Aida's sneer every time she blinked, at everything she looked.

When she finally stopped running, she looked up to see a girl, sitting and seemingly watching the grass grow, a joyful smile lighting up her pretty face. She looked to be about Merida's age, thirteen or so. She glanced up and saw Merida speed-walking by, and the pain must have been evident in her face, because the blonde stood and walked over to her. Merida flinched, expecting her to say something awful- that's how bad life had become for her lately, an insult around every corner.

Instead, the girl hugged her.

Merida surprised herself and burst into tears. The girl squeezed her gently, which only made her sob harder. She buried her face in the girl's shoulder, and the girl rubbed her back.

Finally, Merida calmed down and accepted one of the crackers the girl offered.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked quietly, her eyes searching Merida's. Merida sniffled a little. "You can talk to me."

"My older sister… she thinks I'm powerless." A lone tear fell down her cheeks, and Merida was once again surprised at how she was coming out to this girl. "But I don't think so."

"I don't either," the girl replied. Merida was shocked. "You don't?"

"No, I don't. I could see it. Something powerful is inside you."

"You really think so?"

"No."

Merida felt her face fall.

"I know so."

_Flashback Ten _

_Adam _

_LET ME OUT, _Beast boomed inside Adam's skull. Adam gritted his teeth together and tried to stay calm. School was definitely not the place to scream bloody murder. He'd save that for home. Adam thought in response, _Just… stop. _

_NOOOOOOOO! _Beast roared. The crack that Beast had been widening in his defenses for some time now cracked, pouring out with a flood of emotions and Beast. Adam visibly slumped in his chair with relief and fear. Beast, and the pain he had inflicted, were gone. But he had been released… what did that mean?

The teacher, teaching a History of Arendelle lesson at the head of the class, stopped speaking in the middle of a sentence. A silence filled the classroom for a split second.

That's when all hell broke loose.

And by hell, he means Beast.

Adam was shoved backwards, tumbling through his chair and into an abyss. He screamed as blackness surrounded him, as he fell through the nothingness. Finally, his senses faded, hearing last of all. Before the world went away completely, there was one sound he heard. The sound he had been listening to for so long, the awfully familiar sound of Beast's roar.

_Idun's Journal _

_August 10th, - _

_4:40 AM _

_Dearest Journal, I am unable to sleep. I sit in the living room, writing next to our old lamp. Note to self: we need to replace the lightbulb. _

_Diary, I've been thinking lately about some things. About where Jakob, little Jakob, has gone. Where did he go, where was he taken? And it aches to see Elsa and Anna unremembering. But that is our own fault for taking away their memories. I do not really think that Jakob had problems- I think he was simply different than us. Blessed, just in a different way. Elsa as well. _

_Diary, once again, I should rip these pages out. If the government ever finds them, it's likely we'll have an 'accident' like so many others, for documenting these rebellious thoughts, these thoughts that challenge Arendelle itself. But I leave them be, against the greater good. _

_-Love, Idun _

Weeks pass. Elsa's schedule still does not lighten. It was long past January- March now, the snow melting and winds softening into breezes. Elsa could almost smell it in the air. She was sad to see winter recede, but not very. It had been cold for too long. But the sun, finally visible, saddened her more. It reminded her of Anna, of her warm mother. Her dead mother, her lost sister. Elsa spent a lot of time thinking about them these days. Her father had never seemed to love her as much as he did Anna. But he had been her father nonetheless, and she still thought of him too. A pang hit her at the thought of her family. Her lost family, that was. Because she did have a family- Rapunzel and Jack and Elphaba and Adam and Kristoff and Madison and Carter. They were amazing people, and Elsa was lucky to have them.

She listened to the song playing on her music device closely. It had been too long since she had last had a long listen.

_My boy builds coffins, for the rich and the poor _

_Kings and queens have all knocked on his door _

_Beggars and liars, gypsies and thieves _

_They all come to him 'cause he's so easy to please _

_My boy builds coffins, and I think it's a shame _

_That when each one's been made, he can't see it again _

_He crafts each one with love and with care _

_Then it's thrown in the ground, and it just isn't fair! _

Elsa loved those two verses. The girl singing was telling a story, and the first verse especially was her favorite. In death, everyone is equal. And life wasn't fair. It never was. Why else would her sister hate her, her parents be dead, and Mary and Seth heartbroken?

As the singer continued on about the boy who built coffins, she drowsily shut her eyes. Her busy schedule made her sleep like a rock- she was always tired nowadays. Maybe she needed to tone down her business a little.

_My boy builds coffins, for better or worse _

_Some say it's a blessing, some say it's a curse _

_He's made one for himself, one for me too _

_One of these days he'll make one for you _

***UGH. I've been having some writer's block for this story lately, as seen in my short chapters. So, any ideas, go ahead and spout them off… I know generally my plot outline, but suggestions are always nice. **

**Otherwise, comments, questions, concerns, leave them in the reviews! Bye, guys!* **

**Song: My Boy Builds Coffins by Florence and the Machine, one of my favorite songs/bands. **


	23. Real or Not Real?

***SO! How are y'all doing? **

**Also, someone please feel free to yell at me. Chapters have been coming so slowly lately, and I hate it. AH! **

**But anyway…**

**Reviews: **

**Part 23- Real or Not Real? **

_Flashback Eleven _

_Adam _

The next thing Adam knew, he was tied to a chair, blindfolded, and feeling very tired. What had happened?

Then it all came rushing back. The last sensation… of Beast's roar. He had been let out. Adam had failed. Tears came to his eyes at this thought. Had Beast hurt anyone?... He hoped not.

He heard a door open and shut next to him. He raised his head in the direction, hoping it to be a hug. Instead, he got a cold, harsh voice.

"For displaying unusual abilities and letting a monster in a classroom that killed two students, you are hereby shipped to the Suburbs for the remainder of your life. Good-byes are not allowed in your case. You are to leave in ten minutes. You are allowed one question."

_Stars… Beast had killed two children. _He _had killed two children. _

"Who… died?" Adam swallowed hard. He had to know.

The gruff voice replied, "_You _killed students Eric Castle and Meg Egan. You have nine minutes to prepare yourself for transportation." A wind made his hair fly upwards, a door open and shut, and Adam was once again alone.

He was grateful for the departure as he cried. _Eric and Meg. _Eric was his best friend. Dark-haired, blue-eyed, tall, the most popular boy in school and Adam's closest confidante, and Adam had killed him. He sobbed, hard. The cried became even more ragged as he mourned Meg. She was- no, _had been- _the sassiest, smartest girl in the class, and maybe even the whole school. Everyone had loved her constant sarcasm amidst the controlled lifestyle of Arendelle. Which he was leaving. He wouldn't even get to say good-bye to his parents… not that they would want to see him, anyway. He was a murder.

Oh, heavens above, he was a murderer. A _murderer. _It hit him again, and all he could do was sit and make his blindfold wet.

Adam continued to cry until the click of the door opened and heavy footsteps rang out on the hard floor. They continued towards him until they stopped just next to him. Something sharp and small, most likely a needle, punctured his neck, and Adam sank back into unconsciousness.

%%%%%

Elsa was at her house when it happened.

She was sitting at the counter in her favorite kitchen. Adam, Merida, Rapunzel, and Jack were over, and they were all talking and laughing. Elsa had continuously been pushing away her tiredness for a week now. They were playing improv games, one of their favorite pastimes since the musical had begun. Today, it was Freeze game, where you would step into scenes and eliminate another player, creating an entirely new scene. It was one of Elsa's favorites. She'd had to use the bathroom and stepped out, and her friends hadn't yet noticed she had returned.

"Now, young student, we will begin with the farting dog pose," Jack uttered solemnly as Merida tried not to giggle. Elsa grinned as the pair made their way into yoga poses, Jack making farting noises with his mouth. Merida laughed so hard, she lost her balance and fell over. Rapunzel shouted, "Freeze!", tapped her on the shoulder, and took her former position as Merida stood and brushed herself off. She was only through her first sentence halfway- "Is that a doughnut I see over-" when Elsa felt her eyes droop and body stiffen. She dropped like a stone, falling face-first onto the floor from her chair. She heard her glass of water shatter somewhere close to her. Shouts of surprise rang in her ears, but Elsa was too tired and stiff to move. She heard someone crouch beside her, a hand take hers and wrap cloth around it.

No, it wasn't quite cloth. It felt more like hair.

Rapunzel.

Her voice trembled as she sang the verse and magic raced up Elsa's arm. Still, it didn't help her reawaken. Not that she wanted to. The magic lulled her eyes to close heavily, and she thought she felt the hair slacken as she sank into a comfortable darkness.

Elsa wandered the darkness for an unmeasurable time. She saw things every once in a while- Rapunzel holding her hand, Mrs. Sanar's worried face, Anna weeping silently. She wasn't sure who was real or not real anymore. Finally, after a few seconds, a few years, Elsa didn't know, she felt light on her face. She forced her eyes open.

Her first thought was, _Where am I? _

Oh. She was in her bedroom. In her bed, to be specific. When she moved her head, she saw that the room was empty. She tried to sit up, but her arm refused to work and her head throbbed. So she sank back into the pillows, staring at the ceiling. What had happened? She must have fainted. She'd been tired over the past few days- yes, that would make sense. But if that was true, why was her arm all limp and unresponsive? She racked her brain but found no answer.

The door across the room opened, and Madison tiptoed inside. She set a glass of water on Elsa's desk before turning and seeing she was awake.

"Elsa!" she cried, dashing over and giving her a big hug. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?" Madison continued to fuss over Elsa like she was a delicate paper doll she and Anna used to make in Arendelle.

"I'm fine," Elsa said gently. "What happened?"

"You fainted," Madison said uncertainly.

"Are you sure?"

"Um… yes. You've got an appointment with Mrs. Sanar in a few minutes. Stay awake?"

"Okay." As soon as she agreed, it seemed to be impossible to keep her eyes open.

A few moments later, Mrs. Sanar entered the room.

"Hello, Elsa," the woman said, stopping by her bed. "How do you feel?"

Elsa sighed. "I'm tired."

"That's to be expected. Any pain?"

"Nope."

Mrs. Sanar's eyebrows slanted upwards at an impossible angle. "None? None at all?"

"No…" Elsa frowned. "Is there supposed to be?"

Mrs. Sanar ignored her question. "Does it hurt if I touch here?"

Mrs. Sanar poked the scar on her arm at the bend in her elbow. Elsa's arm flopped in response.

"No."

"Here?" Mrs. Sanar poked her forearm.

"No."

"Here?"

Mrs. Sanar proceeded to poke every millimeter of Elsa's scar, annoying her somewhat. "Am I supposed to be feeling something?" she repeated.

Mrs. Sanar once again offered up no answer, instead scribbling something on a small notepad. Finally, after a few seconds of scratching, she replied, "Rapunzel might explain it better. I'll be back in a few hours." She walked out the room, poring over her notes as she went.

As soon as she was out, the door burst open and Rapunzel came blundering in. "Elsa!" she cried. "YOU'RE OKAY…"

"Calm down," Elsa responded, surprised.

"Youcollapsedandthenthehairdidn'tworkandIwasconfusedandupsetandyoulookedsoDEADandIhadabsolutelynoideawhattoDOandthenJackfoundMadisoninthenor' .Sanarsaidyouhadatenpercentchanceofdyingandit'sbeentwodayssowewereallsoWORRIEDOHELSAITWASSO_HORRIBLE…" _

"What?"

"We were playing and then a glass shattered and we all looked over to see you on the floor. I did my hair thing, you know, like usual, except it didn't work. Jack found Madison, who called Mrs. Sanar, who moved you to your bed and said you might _die. _And you looked pretty dead… It was so awful!" Rapunzel burst into tears and hugged Elsa.

Elsa waited until Rapunzel was done until she asked her question. "Yes… Rapunzel, what happened to me?"

Rapunzel bit her lip and looked away. Elsa felt butterflies in her stomach, anticipating some terrible news. "Rapunzel. I think I have a right to know what caused me to faint on the floor and become unresponsive to your healing."

"Mrs. Sanar thinks… she thinks… she has a lot of theories. Well, not really. Youmightbepowerlessoryourbodyispurgingmagicyourpowersmighthaveturnedoffagainoryourbodyisdevelopinganimmunitytomytalent," Rapunzel rushed.  
>"Rapunzel…"<p>

"Fine." Rapunzel sighed. "You might be powerless. Or, your body is purging all magic. Your powers might have turned off again. Or your body is developing an immunity to my solution." Rapunzel avoided Elsa's eyes.

Elsa was speechless. She finally replied, "All I know is that my arm isn't working, and that I was really tired last week."

Rapunzel's eyes lit up. "I think I know what happened," she said, snapping her fingers. "Be right back!" She dashed out of the room, her hair almost catching on the door frame.

"But-" Elsa called out after her. It was too late; her friend was gone.

Rapunzel didn't come back after a few minutes.

Elsa sighed and rested back in bed. The past three meetings and conversations had only managed to exhaust and confuse her. She felt herself begin to drift off into that familiar blackness and welcomed it. That way she wouldn't have to think or worry or do anything but sleep.

_Flashback Twelve _

_Merida _

Merida hadn't seen the golden-haired girl since that summer's-day episode. It was weeks later, and Merida was beginning another year of school. Aida's teasing was as terrible as ever, and Merida spent most of her time these days locked up in her room to avoid it. But today she had to leave her sanctuary, her asylum, at her parent's insistence. She got up, dressed, and reluctantly journeyed down the stairs for breakfast.

As usual, the first thing she saw was her sister's eye roll. She kept her head down and just barely managed to eat a slice of toast. She grabbed her pre-packed backpack and headed out the door as fast as she could, not even waiting for a hug or kiss from her parents.

The late-summer sun felt good on Merida's skin. Merida was a redhead, so too much sun wasn't usually a good idea, but for now, it felt nice. She managed to forget her depressed thoughts for a few happy moments before she looked ahead and saw her school. Students were already beginning to flow in, laughing and socializing with each other. Merida put her head back down and her smile disappeared.

She got to her first-period class without any real trouble. She chose a seat in the back row and sat, opening her latest book to where she had left off.

"Hey, is that _'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?'_" a voice asked. Merida, startled, glanced up to see a boy of her age staring at her paperback. His voice was hoarse, as though it hadn't been used in a long time. He had medium-length brown hair, slightly sunken blue eyes, and he was rather malnourished-looking.

Merida nodded. "Yes."

"I liked that book," the boy replied. "What part are you at?"

"Veruca Salt just got thrown down the garbage chute," Merida responded, smiling.

The boy cracked a half-smile and took the seat next to hers. Merida got a second look at his eyes; they looked… haunted. Pained. Merida wondered what had happened to him that made him feel that way. And why she hadn't seen him around the Suburbs before now.

The two didn't exchange any more conversation. Merida delved back into her book and the boy leaned backwards, staring at the ceiling. At one point, it looked like he was about to cry.

Merida glanced up again to see him teary-eyed. She put a hand on his shoulder, surprising both of them. "Are you okay?" she asked softly.

"No." His voice cracked ever so slightly. "I'm not."

Merida reached down and squeezed his hand. She looked at his eyes again, and this time, they met hers.


	24. Two Little Freaklings

***Was this a faster update? I hope so…**

**Reviews (sorry, I forgot to do these last time): **

**Part 24- Two Little Freaklings**

Elsa began to wake and sleep on a more regular basis, until she was back to her normal schedule a few days later. Rapunzel brought her all of her homework and told her how upset Mr. Opus was that Zazu was absent, so he'd been doing all of her lines instead. The show date was down to a month away.

"Mrs. Sanar, what's wrong with me?" Elsa asked suddenly during an appointment. "It's been _days_! Please tell me!"

Mrs. Sanar sighed. "Rapunzel gave me the idea just after your first visit. How often have you been using your powers lately?"

"Barely at all."

Mrs. Sanar seemed to lean forward. "Is your arm responsive?"

Elsa stared at her arm hard, willing it to move, stretch, something.

Nothing.

Mrs. Sanar's eyes danced with an untold secret. "How has your level of energy been lately?"

"Awful." It was true; Elsa sometimes was too tired to open her eyes.

Mrs. Sanar scribbled something on her notepad. Elsa wished her arm was working, so she could just snatch it away from her and read every word. However, her arm was still like a wet noodle, so Elsa stared at her instead.

"Elsa, just one moment longer, please. Let me take one more look at your delivering arm?" Elsa nodded, and Mrs. Sanar poked it, examined it, smacked it, and finally let it flop back to Earth before saying, "Hm, yes, that makes sense…"

"WHAT makes sense?" cried Elsa, frustrated and tired. "Please tell me! I'm tired of lying here, not knowing what's wrong with me!"

Mrs. Sanar wasn't at all surprised by her outburst. "Elsa, I believe your delivering arm has simply been shut off."

"Shut off?"

"Yes, shut off. Our shortcut was apparently not permanent- your body was still recovering and your arm is unable to keep up, drawing more and more energy away from you until it finally shut down and became unresponsive. Even though you haven't been overactive with your powers lately, there is a condition known as _adhibitus syndrome._ Your powers are a part of you, and it's necessary to use them. Your delivering arm functions differently than your left one- it gets much of it's energy from the power that flows through you. It didn't have enough flow, so that's why it took from you and eventually shut down. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Elsa's thoughts were swimming with realizations. _I was so tired… I stopped using my powers so much… she has to be telling the truth. _

Mrs. Sanar seemed to read her mind. "Yes. Now, I know you've recovered for the most part- so I brought you this," she said, lifting a piece of white cloth from beside her chair. She handed it to Elsa, who accepted it with her left hand. "What is it?"

"A sling. I had a feeling you wouldn't want to be parading around like that," she replied, gesturing to where Elsa's arm was hanging off the bed.

Elsa thanked her and took it. Mrs. Sanar stood to leave before Elsa called out, "Wait."

"Yes?" the teacher asked, turning around to face her.

"When will I be able to go back to school?" Elsa asked.

"Next Monday," the teacher replied, and exited.

But… that was three whole days away!

_Flashback Thirteen _

_Merida _

Merida and the boy had been seeing quite a bit of each other since the first day of school, which had been just over a month ago. It turned out they took the same route home for five blocks, so they always waited for one another before leaving for school. The two were also in many of each other's classes and lunch period. It made both less lonely and gave them something to look forward to, and it was obvious how much their companionship brightened them- all it took was watching them for a few moments, seeing how they were so close.

One morning on one late September day, Merida had had to endure a particularly mean round of teasing, this time about Adam. "Is he your boyfriend? Bet he has no talents either," Aida had taunted. Over and over again. "Two little weaklings- or is it freaklings?- sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then come a tragic miscarriage!" Aida would sing, waltzing around the house. The mean little ditty had set Merida off, and she had just grabbed her backpack and run out the door, flying down the street. Aida's song was playing on loop in her head. "_Two little freaklings, sitting in a tree…" _

"Merida!" an alarmed voice yelled from behind her. "Wait! Stop!"

Merida felt a tear blur down her face. She was crying. _"...K-I-S-S-I-N-G…" _

An arm grabbed hers. "Merida! What's wrong?" the alarmed voice asked. Adam.

"_...First comes love…" _

Merida pushed him away and continued to run. She couldn't stand it anymore.

"_...Then comes marriage…" _

Then something darted in front of her, forcing her to skid to a stop. Once again, it was Adam. His serious blue eyes looked into hers. "What's wrong, Merida?" He was genuinely concerned.

Merida could only cry in response.

"_...Then comes a tragic miscarriage…"_

"Who did this to you?" Adam asked firmly. He was angry now. "Tell me!" He shook her shoulders slightly.

"_...First comes the sadness…" _

"A-Aida," Merida wept. "She thinks w-we're f-f-f-freaklings! Both of us!"

"_...Then comes the shame…" _

Adam's expression calmed. "Is that honestly what she said?"

Merida nodded, wiping away a stray tear. "Yes."

"_...Soon they're looking for…" _

Adam shook his head at her. "That's awful."

"Yes." Adam was _agreeing with her. _He had only come to the Suburbs about a month or two ago, and he had never told her why, but he was _agreeing with her. _

"_...Someone to blame…" _

"Merida, don't cry over your sister." Adam's voice was solemn now.

"What?"

"_...They spin right around…" _

"Trust me," he said, watching her carefully, "There are much worse things to cry about than your older sister telling you you're powerless."

Merida could tell that he wasn't really talking about Aida. No, he was talking about… something else. Something from his past?

"_...And find one another…" _

"You didn't hear the song."

"There was a song?"

"Aida doesn't have many hobbies." Merida cracked a half-smile.

"_...Soon they don't feel like…" _

"Obviously," Adam replied. Merida's half-grin turned into a full smile. Adam reached out and flicked a tear off her cheek, giving her another grin.

"_...Loving one another…" _

"Don't let her get you down."

"It's… It's hard, though." Merida's voice cracked on the second-to-last word.

"_...Two little freaklings, sitting in a tree…" _

"You'll make it. You're strong."

"_...D-I-V-O-R-C-E." _

Merida smiled again, and the two continued off to school. They might have arrived a few moments late, and forgotten about their English quiz, but it was all worth it.

Anna still was getting recurring nightmares about the Elsa Incident. Every one antagonized Elsa further, until Elsa was the most vile villain of them all, even more villainous than the bad guys in the stories Anna's mother used to read them. Hans pushed it even farther, encouraging her to rant about how evil her sister was. Sometimes, she wasn't sure about it. But Hans always reassured her that everything was okay, that they'd take down the Suburbans soon. Their plot, to get rid of all the Differents, was soon to be acted upon.

But was it the right plan?

Another thing to toss and turn about in her sleep. She'd forged such a close relationship with Jack, who was funny and smart. He softened the blows Hans was inflicting on the Elsa matter, making her seem more innocent than murderous. Anna was torn these days, between the nightmares and Elsa, Hans and Jack. Hate and forgiveness, love and grudges. The awful, happy past, the agonizing present, the uncertain future. It was evident in her appearance that Anna was struggling, with the slight bags under her eyes and her nonexistent energy. Sometimes all she wanted was her former blissful life, with her wonderful parents and a Blessed Elsa.

There was no escape, and she didn't know how much longer she would last.

_Flashback Fourteen _

_Adam _

Adam, too, suffered from night terrors. He constantly saw people scorning him, including his parents and friends. Eric and Meg constantly became zombies and chased him through graveyards, a dream that ended with him being eaten alive.

But they soon began to fade away. Not noticeably, as it was at first, but the dreams began to become less gory, less embarrassing. Adam spent most of his time with Merida those days, who was smart and athletic and rather sweet. It was a shame Aida was antagonizing her the way she was, because Merida didn't deserve it.

A thing Adam had learned there was that the people with no powers were rare and not painted in a good light. It was a lot like being in Arendelle, with all the people shunning Suburbans. Even though Merida was more athletic than most of the people in the Suburbs, an easy friend factor, she was still teased. He wanted to yell at the kids who turned up their noses at the two of them. They didn't even try to meet either of them! Besides, didn't they know how awful powers and talents can be? Because Adam knew.

Adam would rather be powerless than have Beast.

**So, that was a rather eventful chapter! A recovering (somewhat) Elsa, a mean song with Merida and Adam, a struggling Anna, a devious plan, night terrors, and powerless children? Wow. **

**On another note, anyone know who Eric and Meg are? **

**See you guys next time! **

The full Aida song, for anyone who wants it:

_Two little freaklings, sitting in a tree _

_K-I-S-S-I-N-G _

_First comes love _

_Then comes marriage _

_Then comes a tragic miscarriage _

_First comes the sadness _

_Then comes the shame _

_Soon they're looking for _

_Someone to blame _

_They spin right around _

_And find one another _

_Soon they don't feel like _

_Loving each other _

_Two little freaklings, sitting in a tree _

_D-I-V-O-R-C-E _


	25. Missing, Trapped, and Handicapped

***Hey again! Happy Easter, to anyone who celebrates it!* **

**Reviews: (HOW DID I MANAGE TO FORGET THESE TWICE?!) **

**Chapter 23 Reviews: **

**xXzombiesteffiXx- Thanks, will do! **

**chinaluv- Thank you!**

**Guest- Thanks for that. I needed it. I was mostly uninspired, but now that the lull is over, I'm becoming more enthusiastic again. Yay!**

**Chapter 24 Reviews: **

**chinaluv- You summed that up pretty well. **

**RavenQueenFan2605- Eric, yes. Meg… no. Want a hint? Hades. That's all you get! **

**Part 25- Missing, Trapped, and Handicapped **

Rapunzel helped Elsa carry her books her first day back at school. To Elsa's obvious surprise, quite a few people welcomed her back with gusto, having been worried about her sudden absence. Elsa was so caught up in school that it took her until lunch to remember a fact that had worried her for days, until she had blacked out and forgotten.

Merida.

The girl was continuously disappearing, and then reappearing as though she had never been gone. But you couldn't _not _notice the change in the fiery redhead- the lack of energy, the loss of weight, the bags under her eyes, the forced cheerfulness. Rapunzel remarked to Elsa once that it reminded her of when Adam had first arrived in the Suburbs years ago, minus the cheerfulness. Once again, Merida was absent from lunch, and even Elphaba was wearing a worried look.

Adam pushed away his food. "I'm not hungry," he mumbled. Anyone could see what troubled him.

Kristoff shrugged and started helping himself, not one to turn up his nose at free food. Jack started stealing bites here and there, and soon it was a full-out war over the extra food. Rapunzel started commentating, and just like that, the mood was lifted. Except for Adam, who stared out the window listlessly.

Elsa scooted down the bench to where he sat. "You okay?" she asked him.

Adam shook his head. "Merida's been gone since- since-"

"The day I collapsed?" asked Elsa. She remembered Merida and Jack doing their fart yoga days earlier.

"Yeah," he replied. He glanced over at Elsa. "It's never been this long. Where did she go?"

Elsa felt a pang hit her. Adam looked so lonely and tired and worried. It broke her heart, the way he was acting. He had a right to, but it still made something inside her ache.

"I wish I knew," Elsa murmured. Adam buried his face in his hands.

All of a sudden, the boy stiffened. "Tell them I went to the nurse's office," he told Elsa. Still clutching his head, his eyes full of panic, he quite literally sprinted from the room. Elsa watched him go, puzzled. She scooted back down the bench.

Elphaba noticed Adam leaving. "Where's he headed?" she questioned.

"He said he was going the the nurse," Elsa told her. Elphaba bit her lip as she looked to the door Adam had left the cafeteria from.

"Poor guy," she mumbled. "Of all times he'd have to deal with _him_..."

"Him?"

Elphaba gave her a look Elsa couldn't quite read. "You've got your problems, and he's got his." She not-so-subtley looked at Elsa's sling.

Oh, his power. But what was it? She'd never been told directly. Adam Beast... that had to be some kind of clue. She'd have to ask Rapunzel later.

The rest of the day went by in the same fashion as the morning, although Adam didn't turn up in any of those classes. He was also gone after school at rehearsal for the Lion King. Elphaba approached Mr. Opus and whispered something in his ear, and the teacher nodded with a look of concern on his face. It further troubled Elsa. What had happened to her friend?

Mr. Opus approached her next. He tutted, "Elsa, what do you do to yourself? You do realize the show is in three weeks?"

"Trust me, I didn't do this on purpose," Elsa replied. "But we'll think of something... we did last time..."

Mr. Opus sighed. "I suppose. For now, we'll run over The Morning Report, eh? Jack, come stand in for Adam," Mr. Opus called out. "Bruno, you too! Morning Report!"

Although her recent handicap made it a bit harder to dance, they made it through The Morning Report without any huge problems. Same went for the rest of rehearsal. Everything was somewhat normal, except for the fact that two of her close friends were missing, and she had no idea why.

Adam felt the straps clamp down on his wrists and ankles, chaining him to the infirmary bed. The Transport teacher, a woman he didn't recognize, was standing by the bed, summoning her energy to send him to the Suburbian hospital.

It was a miracle Adam had sensed the fissure Beast had made before the monster had broken through. Even now, at his worst hour, Beast wanted freedom. Sensing his guard's defenses waver, he had struck. And now, he was heading off to be held in one of the deepest rooms in the Suburbs. To make sure no one would die because of him. Like Eric and Meg… their faces flashed before his eyes, making him flinch. The night terrors were rare then, but every once in a while he would be reminded of his best friend and the sassafras that he had once known.

But now, Adam was essentially being banished to a cell until Beast was out back in his cage. And how long that would last, how long Beast would reign free, Adam didn't know.

Hans sat in a chair and stirred his ice tea as Anna detailed the events of the past night with Jack, supplying more information about the Suburbs for their plan. He had to admit, at first he had been furious about how the Differents were being treated- like gods, from what Anna had said. But now, he realized how much this Jack could be useful, and Anna was like a river flow of information for him. It wouldn't be much longer- a week or two, maybe- before the Blessed would strike. And it was really helping that Blessed were being informed of his cause and joining them, practicing for the day they would need to attack and wipe out the Differents.

When Anna was finished, she and Hans made their way to the basement with their iced teas. Spring was coming to Arendelle, and it was a relief for the cold to be dying away. At the bottom of the steps, they turned left and arrived at the cupboard under the stairs, where they were keeping the Different that was helping them decide when and where to attack.

She glared up at them, gag in her mouth. She'd been kept under the stairs for days this time, and it was likely that was where she would stay until after the attack. Then, she'd most likely be killed with the rest of them. Unfortunately, she kept escaping- she had twice now- but they found her again and again and forced her to come with them. Luckily, she hadn't told anyone about her activities, likely hoping it would help her be spared or it would all just go away. Hans didn't know or care. The plan was safe, but soon, the Differents wouldn't be.

Little did Hans know, Anna wasn't telling him everything. She left out the parts about singing, and Elsa, and non-plan related topics, including many of the idle chats she had with her brother. But she still felt that it was all _wrong _somehow. As though Elsa and her friends didn't deserve any of it. But according to Hans, those were the wrong thoughts a coup co-leader should have. Not that she knew what a coup even _was_.

And the redhead they were keeping in the basement- that was most definitely not right. What would her parents think? She had released the girl twice, but Hans had forced her to track the prisoner down again and again. Anna ached for the girl- she snuck her food and talked with her, trying to ease her obvious pain. They had even become tentative friends. The girl had told her all about her friend Adam, how he struggled with the Beast inside him, and the rest of her friends. Including Elsa. Anna kept from the girl the relationship she and Elsa had, but the girl described her sister and Adam so radiantly- like angels pushing their way back from Hell.

In return, Anna told the girl of her parents, and the accident. The whole, entire accident, which she had never told anyone, not even Elsa.

The girl and Jack were doing things to her that she didn't understand. She kept reading her mother's journal, searching for an answer, but the diary told her nothing. She wanted something to tell her what to do, like always. There had always been someone- her family, Arendelle officials, Hans. She was on her own now, and she didn't know what to do. She even asked the girl once, and she had replied, "Your brain might argue, but your heart will always know what's right."

"But what does that mean? Hearts don't think or anything like that," Anna had asked.

The girl had shrugged mysteriously. "Your heart will always show you the way. Let it guide you and you shall reap the benefits. That's what me mum used to say."

The words had never left Anna, and she didn't think they ever would. It sounded like something her mother would say.

The Beast was happy. His Guard had grown weaker, and he had seen his chance. He had taken it, and the glass enclosure had cracked. Beast had gleefully widened the fissure until there was a hole, and he kept working the hole until it was big enough that he could step out. That's precisely what he did- he bounded out, for a second getting caught in the Guard's mind. He was troubled, the Guard was. For a second, just a second, Beast was filled with pain and anger and loneliness and longing, but a second later his head was clear and his head was free.

He felt the Guard's body- no, _his _body, fill up with life in the form of blood. He opened his eyes, the Guard's haunting blue ones changing into his beautiful, malicious red ones. He looked around and immediately noticed he was still not free. His limbs were strapped to a bed made of metal quite tightly- so tightly, in fact, Beast could not move. His bed was inside a cold stony cell with only a chained door as decor. He growled, then roared with fury.

The Guard still had him trapped- it just was that this time, he was in a different cage.


	26. The One That Got Away

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**Part 26- The One That Got Away**

Adam was still not back the next day, or the next.

Merida was still missing.

Elsa's arm was still a floppy mess.

Jack was still sleep-deprived.

Anna was still caught in her struggle.

Hans continued to plot.

_Flashback Fifteen _

_Merida _

Merida was walking home from school about a week after the Two Little Freaklings incident alone- Adam was home with the flu- when she saw the golden-haired girl again.

She was crying underneath a tree, holding something small in her hand. She was crouched over it, crying so softly Merida almost didn't hear. She had to continuously brush her long hair out of her eyes.

Merida walked up to her. "Are you okay?" she asked.

The girl peered up at her, a faint light of recognition in her eyes. "Maybe," she shrugged. "But he i-i-sn't." Merida leaned in to see a baby bird, still without feathers and skin and almost see-through. The bird wasn't breathing. Merida sucked in a little breath.

"I-it's all my fault," the girl cried. "I f-found his mother and took h-her h-home bec-because her wing was b-broken, and she c-couldn't take c-care of her baby…"

Merida knelt down beside her and patted her shoulder. "But it's not your fault. You did the right thing. The babies would have died anyway, because the mother couldn't get back to her nest. You saved the mother," Merida comforted.

"A-are you s-sure?"

"Yeah."

The girl looked up at her. "Thanks." She took a deep breath and stood, placing the poor bird on the ground. She then dug a small piece of earth out from beside the tree, placed the bird inside, and covered it. She collected a handful of pebbles and put it near the head of the grave, as a marker. She sat and looked at for a moment before turning back to Merida. "Thank you."

She began to walk away. Merida felt something strong arise inside of her. This was the girl who had comforted her. A complete stranger. And Merida was just letting her go.

Was that really the right choice?

"Wait," Merida choked out. The girl turned to face her again. "Thank you. For your help."  
>The girl seemed a little puzzled. "What? You helped me, remember?"<p>

"No." Merida took a deep breath. "You helped me, before school started. You didn't have to. So… thanks."

A slight glint of recognition appeared in the girl's eyes. "I think I remember you now. And… it was no problem. Everyone in this world has the right to be happy."

The girl turned around again to walk away. "I'm Merida, by the way," Merida called out. The girl stopped, but didn't turn around.

"Rapunzel."

Anna snuck down to the room under the basement stairs for another stint with Merida. She was looking forward to the meeting. It helped… right her somehow. The meetings made her feel like her old self, how she had even before her parents died. When everything was right in the world. It was the same thing with Jack, but he didn't give advice like Merida did. It made Anna wonder what Merida had gone through that had made her so wise… other than the kidnapping thing. Besides, she had already been like this when the two had first started talking.

"Hey," Anna greeted the redhead. "Hans is out. He'll be gone for a while, seems okay to let you out for at least an hour."  
>Merida looked relieved at the idea of a small piece of freedom. "Thanks," she told Anna, her voice heavy. Anna was starting to worry about the girl. She had been fiery and full of life when she arrived. But now, she was to tired to do anything but talk and eat and go to the bathroom.<p>

Merida rubbed her arms. "It's claustrophobic in there," she muttered. Then she mumbled something Anna could barely make out, something that sounded like, "No room for wind…"

"I'm so sorry. Would you like some tea?" Anna offered. Merida sighed and nodded. Anna turned and jogged up the basement steps to put on the teakettle. The task took about twenty minutes, and as soon as she was done, she headed back down to sit with her friend.

But what she saw downstairs shocked her. Sickened her. It made her remember.

Merida, from her cozy position on the couch, was waving her hands about in the air delicately, finesse at her fingertips. Winds shot around the room at high speeds, whipping the girl's hair around. Anna squeaked and turned to flee, but Merida had already seen her. She mouthed something, but Anna couldn't tell what it was. Merida mouthed it again and again. Still, Anna did not understand.

It only stopped when Merida, who had since stood and walked to the middle of the room, collapsed.

Anna shrieked again. "Merida! Merida?" What had she been doing? That wasn't allowed… that was dangerous… and now, their captive was collapsed on the floor…

All of the mending Merida had done on Anna's mind flew out the window. Her fear and anger over the Differents had been renewed. What had she expected, really? No matter who Merida was, she was Different. She lived in the Suburbs for a reason. The Suburbs had to be destroyed. It was filled with liars and betrayers and people who only hurt you in the end.

With that thought in mind, Anna shoved her prisoner back in her binds and into the cupboard.

Elsa glanced over at Rapunzel again. The blonde had gone quiet again. An unusual occurrence where Rapunzel was concerned. It had been happening more and more lately. It was a week ago that Merida had disappeared, and about four days since Adam had fled the Chorus room. No one was feeling very perky in Elsa's circle of friends.

"All right," Elsa declared. "We need a Disney movie right now. No cuts, no buts, no coconuts! We're going downstairs and watching something new. Capiche?"

"Capiche," Rapunzel sighed. The duo promptly tromped down the stairs to their Disney movie room.

"Now," began Elsa, "we've got three choices here. Cinderella. Sleeping Beauty, which we've already seen. Or…" Elsa cocked her head to the side. "I've never seen this one. Maleficent? Isn't that the villain from Sleeping Beauty?"  
>Rapunzel, ever the Disney geek, perked up. "Yeah. I got it for you for your birthday, remember? It's the alternate story of Maleficent, the villain from Sleeping Beauty, like you said. It's not animated, but I love it." Finally, some sparkle had returned to her friend's eyes.<p>

"Let's watch that, then," Elsa decided. She popped the thingymabob into the thingamajig and settled down into her favorite beanbag, right next to Rapunzel. The two relaxed for the first time in a while as they watched young Maleficent, untainted and beautiful, swooping across the scene.

Later 

Rapunzel and Elsa clapped as the movie ended, smiles on their faces and wonder evident in their eyes. Elsa, having seen it for the first time, was sitting there in a state of bliss, while Rapunzel, who was seeing it for the second or third time, sighed contently. "I _love _that movie."

"I think I do too," Elsa replied dreamily. "That was _amazing…_"

"I know, right?" asked Rapunzel wistfully. "Thanks for making me watch that again."  
>Elsa laughed. "You needed it." Elsa turned to face her friend to see her grin begin to fade, and Rapunzel began to cry. Elsa sat in shock. Since when did ever-peppy and encouraging Rapunzel cry?<p>

"No, no, Rapunzel," Elsa said, scooting over closer. "Shhh. It's okay. You just watched a Disney movie. Everything's happy. Happy ending, yay!" she rambled.

Rapunzel looked up at her. "But where's our happy ending?" she asked in a small voice.

Elsa choked for a second. She had heard those words before… when she had heard them after the accident…

Elsa felt her surroundings begin to fade, replaced by bleak white hospital rooms and beeping machines. No, no, it had been so long… she was supposed to be fine now… no…

Anna was sitting on her bed, the one she was resting in. She glanced at her arm, which was throbbing familiarly, to see it wrapped in heavy bandages. She felt a Band-Aid on her cheek, and her head ached. Anna had a concerned expression. "Elsa?" she asked.

"Mmm?"

"Oh, Gods, you're okay…" Anna started to sob and threw herself into Elsa's arms. "I thought you might have died too…"

Her parents were dead. They had died several days ago, her father at the scene of the accident and her mother in the ambulance. Anna knew she was fine.

"Is okay," Elsa mumbled, slurring the _t. _"Is all okay now."  
>Anna just cried harder. "I thought we were supposed to have happy endings. Mother and Father always said so. We'd get happy endings and live happily ever after, like princesses." Anna hiccupped. "When we were little."<p>

"We're jus' not there yet," Elsa comforted. "You 'ave to go through some heartbreak firs', righ'?"

"But Elsa," Anna countered, "I want it now. I want them to come back and give us great big warm hugs. Where's our happy ending?"  
>Elsa felt herself being tugged away, Anna and the hospital room melting away from her sight. "Anna? Anna! Don't go…"<p>

She was back in the real world. She was alert enough to pronounce her _t_s.

Rapunzel was leaning over her, full of panic. As usual, blonde hair was wrapped around her head. Her voice was soft when she spoke. "Anna? You saw Anna?"

The lump in Elsa's throat kept her from speaking.

"You miss her," Rapunzel whispered. "You want her to come and forgive you here. And you've been wracked with guilt that you never told her, confided in her, and now she hates you and it's too late to do anything about it."

Elsa just stared at her. Everything that came out of Rapunzel's mouth was the gospel truth. She'd been pushing those feelings away for so long, but there was something about the depressing circumstances they were in that made it all come back to her, when she had nothing to do but think.

"And you want your parents back. You wish nothing had ever had to change, but it did."

"R-Rapunzel-"

"You wish none of this had ever happened, you're only friends with me because I heal you, you just want your precious _sister _back-"

"N-no! Stop-p it!" Elsa sobbed. "I love you and you know it, you're my best friend. I've never had a best friend before. I was always a freak and unwanted. But then I met you, and everything became different-"

"Really?" asked Rapunzel, her voice rising in pitch with each syllable.

"YES! Of course I want my family back, Rapunzel, it would be- it would be unhealthy if I didn't! But I love it here too. Here there's you and Jack and Adam and Merida and Kristoff and Elphaba and Madison and Carter and everyone-"

"Really?" asked Rapunzel, her tone entirely different now.

"Yes. Everything's got us stressed out, but we all know Adam will be back soon and Merida will turn up again. If we have to, we can tape her to a pole so she doesn't leave again." Rapunzel started to smile, and Elsa did too. "The point is that we just have to keep going. Okay?"

"Okay," Rapunzel agreed.

_Flashback Sixteen _

_Madison _

Madison entered her math class with a feeling of anxiety. Math was her worst class; it had always been. Today happened to be a test day, too, which amplified her stress.

As students swirled around her, talking and laughing and joking with one another, Madison plunked herself down and started paging through her notes, trying to absorb as much last-minute information as she could.

The bell rang, and Madison groaned. She closed her textbook and shoved it under her chair, nervous for the test. It was a whole unit test and everything!

Just as the bell rang, a smallish boy scrambled it. He had crazy brown hair that made it look like he had just been electrocuted, rectangular eyeglasses, and was awfully pale. He too had a nervous sort of expression, but this wasn't anxiety over a math test. This was an expression Madison had seen multiple times over the years.

It was the look of a Transfer.

Feeling instantly sorry for him, Madison waved him over to the empty seat beside her. The kid's eyes widened, and he pointed to himself as if to ask _Me? _Madison grinned a _yes, _and the boy scurried over.

The principal was just beginning to do the morning report when the guy sat next to her. "I'm Madison," Madison greeted him.

"I'm- I'm-" The boy stopped, searching for a name. "I'm- Carter."

Madison nodded. "Nice to meet you."

The report ended, and Mrs. Krispy interrupted to begin passing out the tests. Carter asked, "What're those?"  
>"Math tests," Madison whisper-replied back. "I'm probably gonna flunk."<br>Carter adopted a look of relief. "Math is my _thing. _I can help you study for the retake if you want," he offered.

Madison felt her face light up. "Really? Thanks!"

The two sat grinning at each other until Mrs. Krispy walked over with the tests. "Welcome to our school, kid. Now, do you want to find a book to read while the rest of the kids-"  
>"No thank you," Carter replied. "I would like to try the test."<p>

Mrs. Krispy raised her eyebrows in a slight look of disbelief, but passed him the test. Madison received hers as well, but now, she wasn't as nervous.

She glanced back at Carter, who was coping much better than she'd ever seen a Transfer cope on their first day, and her new friend gave her a wink.

_QOTD _

_Prince Philip: I'm looking for a girl. _

_Maleficent: Of course you are!_


	27. Drumming Song

***Hello again! Something a little different for you guys here.* **

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**Part 27- Drumming Song **

Elsa decided to just relax- not do homework, not spend time worrying about her friends with her other friends- just relax. Kick back her feet and listen to the sound of music. Even if she was sitting up. It was early morning, so she turned up her music device and settled in to listen.

_There's a drumming noise inside my head, and it starts when you're around _

Anna was also up at that hour. She stared out the window at the sunrise, trying not to think. About anything in particular, and about everything in particular. That's what her life was then.

_I swear that you should hear it, it makes such an almighty sound _

Elsa closed her eyes and tapped her fingers to the beat, rocking back and forth slowly. She liked this song; she hadn't heard it much before, but it was… satisfying.

_There's a drumming noise inside my head and it throws me to the ground _

Anna pressed a hand to her head. _Merida is nothing but the enemy. Elsa is nothing but the enemy. Jack is nothing but the enemy. _Hans was all she had left. Nothing and no one else mattered except for making everything perfect, like how it was supposed to be. With only Blesseds living in the world. No one else.

_I swear that you can hear it, it makes such an almighty sound _

Adam, stuck in the back of his mind, fought valiantly. This had been going on for over a week now- trying to get Beast back in the cage and retake his body. He pounded on the inside of his skull, pounding continuously. Almost like the inside of his head was a drum.

_Louder than sirens _

Merida closed her eyes and rested her head against the wall. The wind, it had to be released. It was battering and pounding her body and mind, wanting an out. That cage and those bindings were weakening her, and soon enough, it would burst out of her and cause some serious damage. Just like Elsa had told her it had done for her, all that time ago. Why hadn't she been able to stay in control when Anna had seen her? Why was Anna so unaccepting?

_Louder than bells _

Amanda, Jack's foster mom, covered her ears as Jack gave another earth-rattling snore. _I should take him to a doctor, _she thought. Was it natural for a boy to make such noises in his sleep? She'd have to look it up.

_Sweeter than heaven _

In his sleep, Hans smiled. He was dreaming of his revenge- finding his brother, all twelve of them that had dishonored his pure family, and killing them one by one. Leaving Henry last of all, so that he could suffer as they died. And then, look into Hans's eyes as his life ended. He deserved it. They all did.

_And harder than hell _

Elphaba stared at her mirror. At her green skin. As a baby, it had gotten her sent to the Suburbs immediately. She was glad she had. Those single-minded fools. She had all she needed in the Suburbs. Now, only if everything would go back to the way it had been- before Merida disappeared, and Adam had been locked underground (again), and Elsa's arm had decided to stop working, and Jack slept less like a vampire and more like a person.

_I went to the tower _

Anna flung her door open. She had decided to head back to her old house- maybe her mother had left more clues. Like the page she had apparently ripped from her diary. What if she found it? Hans would reward her immensely.

_Where the church bells chime _

Rapunzel's green eyes flew open. She couldn't breathe. In a panic, she sucked in a deep breath, only to get a mouthful of hair. Her hair was choking her. She hated when that happened. She ripped her golden locks from her mouth and gasped for her precious air, trying to calm herself down so that she could go back to sleep.

_I hoped that they would clear my mind _

Merida willed herself to sleep, but it did not come. The winds were whipping around inside her skull, keeping her up. Could a person die from lack of sleep? She hoped not. But she did know that if that went on too much longer, it would not end well.

_They left a ringing in my ear _

Adam continued. Punch, punch, punch, punch. He heard the Beast wail in pain. _Good, _the thought. The Beast of all, well, not people, but _things, _deserved it.

_But that drum's still beating, loud and clear _

Anna slammed the drawer shut in anger. Nothing. No obvious remains of her mother's diary were anywhere in sight. But where would she have put them? Not somewhere like a desk drawer, that was for sure. Her eyes widened as she realized that she had seen the hiding place before. She knew where the diary page was.

_Louder than sirens, louder than bells, sweeter than heaven, hotter than hell _

Elsa flopped backwards so that she was lying on her bed. Her arm flopped with her, bouncing lifelessly on the covers. Why wouldn't it work? What had she done to deserve this?

_As I move my feet, towards your body, I can hear this beat, it fills my head up _

Anna's heart pounded as she ran to the room she and Elsa had once shared in their tiny old house.

_And gets louder, and louder, and gets louder and louder _

Amanda tried to cover her ears with her pillow, but it was no use. The snoring was a serious problem.

_I run to the river and dive straight in _

Elphaba examined her raven-black hair next. As far as she knew, no one else had anything quite like it. It was sleek and shiny and thick, and she usually left it down or braided it or put it in a high ponytail. Everyone had always oohed and aahed over it, but to Elphaba, it was just hair. What was the big deal?

_I pray that the water will drown out the din _

Anna jumped onto the bed- her old one, not Elsa's, which she couldn't bear to look at, considering her sister was dead to her- and reached up into the old baby mobile that hung above it. Little yellow suns dangled from it, with a circular piece of wood on top. Anna reached up, moving her hand around to see if anything laid up there beside the dust.

_But as the water fills my mouth it couldn't wash the echoes out _

Kristoff, like normal teenage boys, continued to sleep. He too snored, but not quite like Jack had.

_But as the water fills my mouth it couldn't wash the echoes out _

Elsa felt a wave of tiredness pass through her. She was so tired. Of having all these problems. She's gotten this normal, happy life for a few months, and now it seemed that routine had faded away with her friend's disappearances.

_I swallow the sound _

Dream-Hans reveled in the chaos and torture he was reaping upon the freaks. They deserved every ounce of it, as far as he was concerned. They had to be taken out. They were freaks.

_And it swallows me whole _

Elphaba stared into a set of, surprise surprise, green eyes. They were murky and had a tendency to go and wreak havoc on her vision sometimes by making her nearsighted, but she liked their color. They suited her.

'_Till there's nothing left inside my soul _

Elsa remembered the time she had shut everything out. She wished she had never done that. It hadn't helped. In fact, if it wasn't for Mary and Seth, who she remembered with a pang, she would probably have killed herself. She owed them so much. They had shown her simple kindness, and it had saved her life. It was the same way with Madison and Carter, and Rapunzel, and Jack, and pretty much everyone she had met recently. How was she to repay them?

_I'm empty as that beating drum _

Anna felt her hand grip on something thin. She pulled it down to her line of sight and stared at it. She sat dashed out the door with the dusty old paper clutched in her hands. She had found the diary page.

_But the sound has just begun… _

_**(Drumming Song by Florence and the Machine)**_


	28. Never the Same Again

***And we're back... I finally had time to finish this up when I got sick. No school, yay...* **

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**17h: What are you doing in the reviews? Get back in the story!  
>Hans: Don't be rude to her! We all heard you!<br>17h: You're the bad guy! I can be rude to you faker all I want! Plus, you're the one trapping her in a basement! And Anna's crazy anyway!**

**Anna: Wait, what? **

**RavenQueenFan2605: Nah, no fairy tale. Their story is a story within a story, I guess. Like Once Upon A Time. That show is perfection. **

**Part 28: Never the Same Again**

Anna clutched the paper to her chest as she dashed out of her old house, filled with glee. She had found it. She had found it. The missing journal page was hers.

With that information, the uprising would be just that much quicker. Especially with the news Hans had given her last night.

_Hans walked into the living room, a grin on his face. "Remember that letter I sent the government about our cult?" _

_Anna nodded. She still didn't know what a cult was. _

_Hans's grin broadened. "They agreed with us. The Differents have to be taken out. They're organizing an attack on the Suburbs next week."  
>Anna leapt up. "Are you serious?" <em>

"_Yes!" _

_Soon, the Differents would be out of their lives. The new ones discovered in their beautiful city of Arendelle would be executed upon discovery. _

And Anna's world would finally, _finally, _make sense again. No Elsa. No Jack. No Merida.

No Differents.

As soon as she was back in the safety of her bedroom, she opened the folded papers.

_I hope someone finds this someday. I wrote it in my diary, but with the way the government is, they'd kill me for it. So now you, whoever you are, has found it. Maybe it was in the original hiding place, maybe not. _

_I fear for my family. We are dangerous. Jakob is already gone, of to the Suburbs to forget his family. Elsa… she should not have to bear this. It is my own selfishness that keeps her here, not wanting to send her to her brother, to safety. I want my child. But I am hurting her. I cannot look over her in the Suburbs. I know the rumors around here, likely started by the government, are not true. But who knows what the real Suburbs are like. I can't trust anyone anymore. Not even Adgar, which breaks my heart. Who knows what would happen to Elsa and Anna, let alone the people that harbored him. _

_Someday I hope things will be different, and people are judged for their actions instead of their abilities._

Later that day, the Suburbans themselves also had something to be overjoyed about. Adam had returned.

"ADAM!" Rapunzel shrieked, running to him and throwing her arms around him. "WE MISSED YOU SO MUCH AND YOU'RE SO STRONG AND IT'S TERRIBLE THE THINGS YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH BUT WE'RE HERE FOR YOU AND-" she sobbed.

Adam's blue eyes were watery. "Thanks," he interrupted. He let her hug him for a full minute before gently prying her off of him. He nodded to the rest of the group. "It's good to see you guys again."

The friends had a group hug, and for the time being, they were untroubled.

As soon as the reunion was over, though, things got serious. The search for their friend got intense. They went on occasional search parties, questioned her family, looked through her mail. It was getting dire.

Even with that, Jack and Anna continued to meet in the night.

"I've been keeping an eye out, but she probably won't come to Arendelle. I haven't seen her," Anna reported. Jack sighed heavily.

"If you see her, give her this, will you?" he asked her. He handed her an envelope. Anna accepted it. "I'll see you on Thursday, okay? My parents are getting suspicious… well, my fosters, anyway. See you later." He waved at her as he turned to leave. Anna waved as well, the envelope clutched in her grasp.

As she walked home, her thoughts were quite cluttered indeed.

Jack obviously wanted her to give Merida the letter. Merida also happened to be an evil Different with no soul. But the diary page from earlier…

Besides, they would all be dead soon anyway, if Hans's plan worked…

Jack, meanwhile, was just grateful to be getting back to sleep. He would get a whole three days.

Anna slipped the letter in between the cracks of Merida's cupboard.

Merida blinked her groggy eyes open. Something had fallen into her lap. An envelope. She maneuvered her hands around the rope and opened it to find a letter inside. Despite her raging headache, she read it.

_Dear Merida, _

_Where have you been? We've been so worried- you've been disappearing and reappearing and so much has happened since we last saw you, it isn't even funny. Adam had to take a break in the basement and Elsa's arm is paralyzed or something- but you probably know that, you were doing that farting dog pose when it happened. Even though you disappeared after. _

_But Adam's back now and Elsa is okay. We're all just trying to get to you. I hope Anna gets this delivered, even though it's unlikely. Anyway, stay strong, wherever you are. It's getting suspicious, almost like you ran away or were kidnapped. We hope to see you soon. _

The note ended there. Merida leaned her head back and cried softly. She could stay strong for her friends. It was unclear who had written the letter, but she was so grateful to whoever did. That letter gave her just the barest spark of hope. The one she'd had right before Anna had locked her in the closet.

"I will do my best," she whispered to the letter. "But please hurry."

_Flashback Seventeen_

_Ariel _

Ariel shrieked as the boy who sat in front of her grew to an enormous size, his clothes shredding. He grew fur and claws and fangs and horns and great big feet in a matter of seconds. And his eyes, the bright red they morphed into, was more vibrant than her hair. It was… unnatural.

Adam, or whoever he was, turned to the sound of the shriek. He roared in her face, blowing back her aforementioned hair. She moved to hide under the desk, but the thing ripped it up and threw it to the right, hitting a girl named Meg in the head with a sickening thump. Ariel screamed. Other students ran out the door. One brave girl ran to Meg. No one would help Ariel- no one was left. The thing advanced, thrusting back his hand. He swooped it down to swat her like a bug when the second thump of the day was heard.

Eric.

Her crush had leapt in front of her, blocking the thing's attack. If he had been a half-second later, he would have been too late. Ariel was crying as she leapt up and ran to Eric, who had hit the wall quite hard. His neck was at a sharp position… too sharp…

Ariel screamed again. The thing ran at her, but she picked up the pencil sharpener and whacked it over the head with all of her might. It was a heavy pencil sharpener, mind you. The thing that used to be Adam, her crush's best friend, crumpled to the ground with a shriek not unlike the ones Ariel uttered as she turned back to Eric.

His blue eyes stared upward blankly and a line of blood was now running down his neck. The teacher ran back in to see Ariel holding Eric and sobbing, a girl named Ella holding Meg, and a hideous monster sleeping on the floor. He dashed to the emergency phone and dialed as the two girls stood up and hugged each other, both unwilling to look away from their friend's bodies.

That day changed everything…

_Flashback Eighteen _

_Ella _

Ella had always done things right. Played by the rules. Gone from being a ragged, unwanted orphan to a friendly, kind girl that everyone liked to be around. And now she had more grief; her classmate had killed her best friend, the only one who had been willing to accept the dirty girl dressed in rags all those years ago. Meg was gone. Ella was holding her body and sobbing. No, it wasn't real. It couldn't be. Yet the dent in Meg's head, visible through her brown hair, was very real. Her eyes stared upward without the sparkle Ella loved. Ella screamed.

A pair of arms enclosed her, warm and very sturdy. Ella turned to see Ariel, a shy redhead, hugging her tightly and crying. Ella accepted the hug, letting out her pain as Ariel let out hers. Ella peeked over Ariel's shoulder to see Eric on the ground, which only made her cry harder, which made Ariel cry harder. A few classmates started filtering back into the room and breaking down at the sight of the two dead students. Sirens wailed outside, and medics rushed in. Meg and Eric were covered with blankets and carried away. The world became blurry and hard to keep a hold on, but Ella did not let go of Ariel's hand.

Not even when the medics tried to carry her away, too.

Jack tossed and turned in his bed. He couldn't fall back to sleep. He finally had what he wanted, but his stupid snoring had woken him up. And then he had started thinking about deep things. About Elsa, and Anna, and everything… his life had been fine until Elsa had shown up. Actually, she had been fine. Become a friend, really. Anna had been the one who had shaken things up, mailing him that letter and creating the midnight meetings.  
>What was it with Anna, anyway? She'd become more closed off lately. Jack had too, though.<p>

God, everything was so weird.

Little did the Suburbans know that their very own D-Day was only twenty-four hours away.

_QOTD: _

_Timon Uh-oh, they called him a pig. _

_Pumbaa: Are you talking to _me_?_

_Timon: Ya' shouldn't have done that._

_Pumbaa: ARE YOU TALKING TO ME?!_

_Timon:____Now they're in for it… _

_Pumbaa__**:**__ THEY CALL ME MR. PIG! AHHHH!_


	29. Preparations

***Here it goes again... *  
>Reviews: <strong>

**Part 29: Preparations **

_Flashback Nineteen _

_Merida _

Rapunzel had joined Adam and Merida's friendship, making the duo a little friendship group. She also brought with her two more- a boy named Jack and a girl named Elphaba, both of whom had lived in the Suburbs their entire lives.

By this time, Merida was about fourteen. Aida was about nineteen, being five years older. The triplets were… who knew how old they were, anyway? Fourteen turned out to be a momentous year for Merida.

By the age of fourteen, pretty much all Different kids had developed a talent- most, if not, were destined to be the Nobodies that sat on the sidelines their entire lives. Aida was so sure her sister was a Nobody already, she refused to associate with her.

By the age of fourteen, Merida was clinging to one tiny shred of hope.

It was a happy, happy day when Merida woke up three feet above her bed, a mini tornado full of her things whizzing around her.

_Flashback Twenty _

_Idun _

Idun held her newborn twins gently, the way only a mother could. Her little Elsa and Jakob. She played with their small, light-colored locks of hair, already sprouted from their heads. Elsa's icy blue eyes blinked open lazily and gazed at her. Idun smiled and kissed the baby's forehead, and Elsa closed her eyes again.

To Idun, they were so perfect.

An hour later, when the twins were back in the care of the nurses, a doctor walked in, appearing concerned. "Mrs. Summers?" he asked.

"Yes?" Idun replied.

"The medical team and I are concerned there is something wrong with the babies," he told her hesitantly.

Idun's eyes flew open in a panic. Her Elsa and Jakob… what was wrong with them? She repeated the thought out loud. "What's wrong with them?" she rushed.

"Nothing very serious… it's just that their skin is very cold for newborns. Unnaturally cold. And all the rooms they go into drop in temperature, despite the typical Blessed abilities. We think they might be- you know."  
>"No, I do not know." Idun scrunched up her eyebrows.<p>

"The D-word," the doctor whispered.

"Pardon?"  
>"The D-word," he repeated, barely louder than he hand been before.<p>

"I'm sorry, I do not know the D-word."

"You do, I'm sure… d-i-f-f-e-r-e-n-t?" he asked hopefully. Idun spelled it out in her head.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Not entirely." The doctor was still hesitant. "Sometimes newborns have low body temperatures as their bodies try to compensate for Heater abilities- but their temperatures have dropped below the norm."  
>"Well, perhaps they'll be incredible Heaters then," Idun replied.<p>

"But… but…" the doctor stuttered. "This could be serious. Aren't you worried?"  
>"Why should I be?" Idun questioned. "We don't know the future. We have no control over it. Whatever happens will happen. So why worry?"<p>

The doctor gave her a half skeptical, half you're-absolutely-crazy look before exiting. Idun sighed as she slumped backwards against the pillow. Now, she could sleep. It had been a long and exciting day. Maybe later, she would write in that diary Adgar had given her…

It was morning, around eight or so. Amassed around Anna and Hans were Blesseds from all the high schools through age twenty-five from all four Quadrants. There were familiar and unfamiliar faces everywhere. Each person was equipped with a small knife in case the Differents tried to resist the siege. The mood was light for the moment as people socialized before Anna and Hans stepped up to the podium in front of all of them and they quieted down.

"People of Arendelle," Hans began dramatically. "For years, we have been plagued by the people in the world that are Different from us, that endanger us with their dangerous abilities. We contacted the king and he agreed- they needed to be wiped out, kept from breeding. Because it turns out those urban legends are wrong. The Differents live against our wishes in a separate society. Well, no more!"

The Blesseds cheered and hooted at his words. The crowd of them went on and on.

"We will show them our superiority!" Anna shouted, lifting her fist into the air. "With our special talents, we will show them who is in charge and who is a mistake!"

The cheers and hoots grew louder.  
>"Now, let's march to their town and teach them a lesson!" Anna and Hans cried in unison. The Blesseds surged forward to begin the half-hour march to the Differents. Hans was to lead, but Anna had something to do first.<p>

As the crowd pushed forward, she cut back through backyards until she made it to Seth and Mary's house. She raced to the basement and freed the door, untying the groaning Merida.  
>"Listen to me," Anna hissed. "You will come with me to the Suburbs. You will not try any moves. I've a kitchen drawer's worth of knives on my person. Do what I tell you to."<br>Merida blinked her eyes open slowly and nodded. She held still as Anna retied her wrists behind her back. "Now, let's go." Anna dragged Merida up the stairs and out the house, towards the Suburbs.

Towards Elsa.  
>Towards Jack.<br>Towards Henry.

Towards, not the Differents, but the Doomed.

Rapunzel was walking through the wood. She had been searching for so long for Merida, word of it had reached the leaders of the Suburbs. They'd told her to go down Pyne Trail and look for the weeping willow by the lake… which she had found. And to touch it, which she found a little weird. Okay, more than weird. But the leaders had assured her that she would find help.

Rapunzel brushed her hand lightly on the weeping willow's bark. The forest scenery around her vanished, and she saw… Merida?

Rapunzel saw a dark figure stuffing a smelly cloth in her mouth in the night and dragging her away, towards Arendelle. She saw the stranger shoving Merida in a little under-the-stairs cupboard. She saw every moment Merida had been gone, every second, up till the one she was living.

Her eyes flew open, and she started to sprint back to the Suburbs. The Blesseds were coming, and once they were there, there was no stopping them.

flashbacks then army gathering to march


	30. Knights

***IT IS HERE! THE CLIMAX!* **

**Part 30, Knights**

Elsa groggily opened her eyes to Madison shaking her violently. "It's a Saturday, leave me alone," she murmured. It was the second week of April. Exams were coming up, and Elsa had been studying until midnight the previous day.

"Elsa. We're being attacked. Get up," Madison rushed. Elsa's eyes snapped open and she threw off the covers with her good arm. "What? Whaddaya mean?"

"We don't know. Your friend Rapunzel ran into the government building and told them that she just knew the Blessed were coming to attack, the Willow had told her, and there're alarms going off everywhere, and people are being called up to fight-"  
>"What? Are you serious?"<p>

"Yes. Elsa, this is _serious_, we need as many fighters as possible. Arendelle is out for blood."  
>Elsa got a good look at Madison for the first time in that conversation, and saw that she was truly scared, which sent a chill down her spine. Madison was bright and encouraging. She wasn't supposed to be scared- but there they were.<p>

"God, what am I supposed to wear?" Elsa wondered aloud.

"Just throw somthing tight-fitting on, it doesn't matter. We're supposed to be at the square in eight minutes." Madison glanced at her clock. "Seven, now. I'll meet you downstairs." Madison left.

Elsa went through the motions more quickly than usual, thinking about what Madison had meant. As she pulled on a pair of neon blue and neon green running shorts, it dawned on her that she was going out to fight. Not like a tug-of war, but a real war kind of battle. As she tugged on a navy shirt with a big white snowflake on it that she and Rapunzel had found in a thrift shop awhile ago that she really like, she remembered who lived in Arendelle. As she yanked a brush through her hair and tied it into a ponytail, she was taking into account the fact that she was, at the moment, powerless- what was she supposed to do against the Arendellians and An- the Arendellians with no Talent and a broke arm? Ah, well, she'd find something. She had to protect the Suburbs. But it wasn't like _she _would be there anyway. Her sister had always been bright and loving and kind and peaceful and- she had to stop before she started to cry.

Funny how fast she had come to terms with the notion that she was about to witness a war to end all wars.

She caught one last glance of herself in the mirror. It really did look like she was going for a morning run. She admired her shirt for a split second before pulling on a pair of green (running) shoes and running downstairs.

...

"Differents," a man Elsa didn't recognize called out from the stage in the square, "today, for some reason, we're being attacked by the Blessed, who hate us. Always have, for some reason, even though they're supposed to be loving and _warm, _for goodness's sake. We are now fighting back, to protect ourselves. We have only existed, and we have a right to exist." Here, the man had to pause as the crowd hooted and whistled. "This is self-defense, self-preservation. We are strong enough to survive when they dump us in the woods to die. We are strong enough to survive this too. But let's be the stronger people- instead of killing Blesseds, disarm them, knock them out, tie them up in your basement. Don't kill.

"Today, we might lose some people. Yeah, it's a possibility. But we can finally be at peace with one another. We can stop hiding. So now, let's go fight for a change that will solve not all, but many, of our problems."

Cheers and wolf whistles were the crowd's reply. Elsa turned to Rapunzel, who she had found earlier and was standing next to and asked, "Who is that?"

"The mayor," Rapunzel replied. "He's mainly the over-see-er. Makes sure we're working together for the rights goals and stuff."

"Oh."

The crowd surged away from the square onto the roads, Rapunzel and Elsa marching along with them. She'd all but forgotten her Talent-Less issue and was caught up in the moment. She started humming as she walked, gradually getting louder until she was singing a song from her music-player.

"No one's gonna take me alive,

The time has come to make things right.

You and I must fight for our rights,

You and I must fight to survive…"

Rapunzel listened to her sing it over and over before picking up a harmony. "No one's gonna take me alive…"

Two more rounds through, they were louder and a few people around them had joined the tune. "The time has come to make things right…"

Jack appeared next to her, seemingly appearing from thin air, and sang the low octave while squeezing the hand of her limp right arm. "You and I must fight for our rights…"

Soon enough, it seemed like everyone from the Suburban army was singing along.

"You and I must fight to survive…"

...

On the march to the Suburbs, Hans lifted his head with a puzzled expression. "What's that?"

...

The harmonies were the most beautiful thing Elsa had ever heard, and it only increased in volume and layers. Finally, they crested the final hill and were looking down upon the Blesseds, the harmony so intense Elsa couldn't hear anything else. Then all went quiet.

Until the silence was broken when a battle cry erupted from the Blesseds charged forwards, screaming bloody murder. The Differents walked calmly. As the leader from earlier had declared, people would die, but the Suburbans wanted it to be a bare minimum. The Differents prepared themselves, summoning elements and thinking good thoughts.

When the Blesseds and Differents clashed, it was furious. The enmity and putting down of each other had built up over all of those years, and they were now being released in a hostile environment.

The mayor had been right. People were dying. Getting frozen in gigantic ice cubes, fainting of heat strokes, some being permanently blinded by flashes of light. Being pulled down by vines that sprung from the ground at random. It was terrifying.

...

Merida scanned faces as Anna yanked her along by the hair. She was itching so badly so whip herself away in a huge gust of wind. But everyone was a blur. It might have been her sickness or it might have been the battle, but it felt like she was being swept up in a tornado. She simply couldn't focus…

...until she spotted a huge, hulking monster batting Arendellians and Suburbans alike to the side as if they were pesky flies.

"Adam!" she screamed. "ADAM! JACK! RAPUNZEL! ELSA!"

Anna smacked her across the face. "Shut up! Try it again and see what happens!"

There was a glint in Anna's eye that Merida didn't like.

...

Jack popped his head up. Who had called his name? He summoned an ice platform and rose above the battle cautiously, knowing an enemy would likely melt him back down soon enough.

"Elsa!" he cried, leaping down to save her from an oncoming attacker. He swooped her up and recreated the platform- the original was nowhere to be seen, thanks to the Arendellians.

"Thanks," she panted. "I was hoping my powers would come back before then, but…" She frowned. "Yeah."

"No problem. I heard you call out my name, so I figured you needed help," he replied. He was suddenly reminded of the fact that she was his twin sister. And Anna was his younger sister.

Anna… Oh, God, no. He was such an idiot. He'd messed up. Oh, God…

"Elsa, there's something I need to tell you," he began. But she wasn't paying attention to him.

"Jack. Look. Over there." She smacked his shoulder to get his attention.

"Ow," he complained, but he obliged and glanced over. That shock of red hair was unmistakable.

And so was the ginger with the white streak clutching that hair. The figures were unmistakable for both of them.

But they didn't have time to dwell on that, because that's when someone from Arendelle melted the platform.

...

Rapunzel had done her best. But she should have seen it coming.

A somewhat brutish group of Blesseds dragged her away from the fight by her hair, Rapunzel kicking and screaming, trying to get free, to no avail. They'd dragged her into an abandoned house, tied her to a chair with a cloth in her mouth. And when they'd figured out the magical properties of her hair, they'd cut it off at chin-level. It was a dead brown color now.

She was dreading what they'd do to her next. Blind her with their lights? Overheat her until she was desperately sick? If only she had her hands, and the plants would pull them down and her bindings free and she could escape.

But she didn't have her hands, and she was still trapped.

...

Adam was barely keeping Beast in check as he fought. Slowly, though, Beast was getting used to him, and their wants were the same; to destroy the invaders.

...

Elsa tumbled to the ground, barely managing to land safely. Jack, however, wasn't quite as lucky. He groaned as he got back to his feet, rubbing his shoulder. "Ow."

"There's no time for that, hurry up!" Elsa cried as she grabbed his other shoulder and began pulling him in the direction they had seen their friend. "Merida! MERIDA!"

Merida heard someone calling her name but didn't dare call back after the look Anna gave her. Who was it? Who had seen her, finally? She wanted so desperately to call out in response.

...

Jack pulled his arm free and raced after his sister. After all this time, someone had finally found her.

But Jack had a feeling Anna wasn't the savior they had been praying for.

...

A boy pulled a knife from his pocket and studied it, tracing the edge of the blade with his finger. When he took it back off, it was bleeding. The boy smiled.

"Might I introduce myself? I am Kaa." His eyes were a sly yellow color, his hair a dark brown. He smooth-talked like no one Rapunzel had ever met. Did that mean…?

"And you are?" Kaa focused his yellow eyes on Rapunzel's green ones.

"Rapunzel."

"What kind of name is _that? _Entirely breaking Arendelle law. No wonder you were kicked out." The rest of Kaa's gang snorted.

"Who says I was kicked out?"

"The Differents are _breeding_? Filthy pigs," Kaa remarked. Rapunzel did her best to ignore that, trying to keep the conversation civil in order to stall.

"Where are you from, Kaa?" Rapunzel asked, out of curiosity.

"Nigeria. Why," he demanded.

"I don't know. I've just heard that Nigeria has a lot of snakes," Rapunzel replied, feeling gutsy.

Kaa's eyes narrowed.

So much for a civil conversation.

...

Adam swatted aside another Arendellian, trying to get Beast to be a tad bit more gentle. And to only swat away the guys. Blessed girls were nothing like Different girls, which he'd forgotten. The Blessed girls were a tad bit more delicate. They hadn't gone through any hardships like the Different girls had.

He and Beast lumbered to the side, where Beast, exhausted for once, gave Adam his body back. He went through the uncomfortable transition, and had just become Beast-free when a girl leapt at him, fury in her eyes.

...

Elsa chased after her no-longer-missing friend, Jack close on her heels. Finally, she caught up to her, grabbing her wrist. "Merida!"

Merida turned to face her. Both girl's eyes widened in shock.

Merida's skin was lighter than usual. Paler. She was thinner, so her dress didn't quite fit her anymore. Her blue eyes were somewhat sunken and her hair was straggly and even more untamed than usual. A red handprint was on her left cheek. In short, she was worn down. Very, very, very worn down.

"Elsa?" Merida whispered.

...

"What did I tell you about talking?" Anna cried. She raised her hand to smack her captive again, but someone caught her arm. She attempted to twist away, but her forearm was stuck. She turned to see none other than her brother grasping her wrist firmly. Angrily.  
>"Let go!" Anna yelled. "Jack! LET GO!"<p>

Jack shook his head fiercely before pulling her towards him, loosening her grip on Merida. Merida took the opportunity to wrench herself free, collapsing on a Different girl standing in shock to the side. The girl held up her captive with a bit of a struggle, seeing as her arm was in a sling. Anna kicked at Jack, getting him to loosen his grip, and ripped her arm away from him. She grabbed onto Merida, pulling her off the Different girl. The Different girl grabbed Merida's other arm, creating a fierce tug-of-war. That's when Anna got a better look at her opponent.

"Elsa?"

...

Jack joined Elsa on her side. Anna's shock allotted for an easy victory. She didn't even seem to care as she continued to stare at her estranged sibling. Then, ignoring Merida and Jack completely, she launched herself at Elsa, hands creating balls of energy, mouth stretched open in an angry battle cry. Elsa's eyes widened in shock as she turned to flee.

Watching it all, dumbfounded, Jack had a feeling this was kind of what having siblings was like. And that he'd gotten himself ensnared in a mess that would be pretty darn difficult to escape unharmed.

...

Rapunzel watched as Kaa studied his blade again. Finally, he raised his eyes, his minions waiting for his verdict. "Enough games. Let's kill her already." He flashed her a sick smile before walking towards her, posse closing in around her, until all she could see was menace. Tears welled in her eyes.

Except for one face, one that seemed unsure. A face that seemed to not want to go through with this, a face that regretted even coming to the Suburbs in the first place. Rapunzel focused on him.

One tear fell.

Two.

...

Adam struggled against the furious girl that had targeted him. "DIE!" she screamed. "DIE!"

"What did I do?" Adam cried, scooting back from her. The girl blew straight blonde hair out of her eyes, bangs cut just above her eyes. She was gorgeous. She was also trying to kill him.

"You know exactly what you did," she hissed, crawling after him

...

Elsa sprinted away from Anna, utterly confused. Why was Anna attacking her? Why did she know Jack's name? Why had she been holding Merida close? Was Anna the kidnapper? What had Merida been going through? Where were the rest of her friends? Who was winning?

What was going on?

...

Jack tried to embrace Merida, but she shoved him away. This was her chance to use her powers again, keep them from killing her. "I'll explain later," she told him, before stumbling away from his concerned expression, her captor's rage, and her captor's sister's debatable innocence.

Jack let Merida go, convinced she knew what she was doing but worried all the same. He turned back to Elsa and Anna, trying to find a way to get between them before someone got hurt without getting hurt himself.

...

The posse howled with cruel laughter as Rapunzel's tears fell.

Three.

The sympathetic boy watched in horror as one of Kaa's helpers cut her loose. "All the more fun," Kaa announced. "For us." The horde chuckled and drew in, Rapunzel desperately searching for an escape route. Weapons and Blessed talents were drawn upon.

Four.

Five.

...

The girl blinded Adam again, pummeling him as he blinked furiously. He eventually came to his senses and kicked her off, sending her rolling down the pavement.

Adam got to his feet, stealing one last glance at the girl as he darted away.

...

As soon as Merida was a ways from the fighting, she relaxed. She could let it all out now. Everything could be so much better.

She took a deep breath before unclenching her muscles and unchaining the wind. It was time to let it go.

***Song: Knights of Cydonia by Muse***


	31. Snapshots

***And here I am with the next installment, which is longer than usual :)* **

**Part 31- Snapshots**

Hans and his legion fought valiantly, knocking Suburbans to the side left and right. At the front, he easily saw his soldiers dragging Suburbans into houses, which made him smile. Being at the front, he also saw all of the people he was plowing into…

but for some reason, he had yet to find who he was really there for.

Henry.

…

When Merida returned, she was an entirely different person.

Her skin was glowing, her hair bouncy, her eyes bright, smile wide, stride confident. Jack gaped at her.

"Now, let's sucker punch those idiots you-know-whats, shall we?" she asked with a grin.

"But… you were only gone for a second…"

She winked. "C'mon, let's go hunt down Elsa before we lose her altogether. Anna isn't going to let her go if we don't help her."

"Wait a minute…" Jack grabbed her arm as she turned in the direction the sisters had run off. "How do you know who Anna is?"

Merida frowned. "How do you?"

Jack sighed. "Let's talk about this after, okay?"

She nodded. "That would probably be a better idea. Let's go!"

This time, when she dashed off, he followed her.

…

"Stop!"

Kaa's posse obeyed and froze.

Kaa's slit eyes narrowed even further. "Who said that?"

That call hadn't been from Rapunzel.

…

Elsa still wasn't up to full strength, which is why it made sense that Anna caught her and dragged her into an abandoned house, down into the basement. She could hear movement in the upstairs room, a group of people that were probably from Arendelle screaming with laughter. It made Elsa sick.

Anna shoved her into a chair and hastily knotted her into it while she was dizzy. "There."

Elsa raised her head and looked at Anna's face. "Anna."

"Shut up, you swine," she snapped. Elsa's eyes pooled with tears.

"Anna, why…"

"You don't get to ask the questions around here," she cut in. "I do."

Elsa closed her mouth.

"Now, Elsa," Anna began, cooling herself down, "why did you attack me at school last fall?"

Elsa frowned. "What're you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about right now," she hissed. "Answer the question."

"I never attacked you," Elsa replied. "If anything, it was the other way around."

"Stop denying your sins, Elsa, and just answer the question!" Anna roared. Elsa shrank back.

What had happened to Anna to make her like this?

…

But as hard as they tried, they couldn't manage to find any of their friends- not Elsa or Anna, or even the others, like Rapunzel or Adam, who was no longer towering over the battle. They were on their own. And even worse than that, it was looking like they were losing.

"Think about it," Merida reasoned. "The Blesseds are killing or capturing, and a lot of them are holding grudges- just look at Anna or Hans. We're trying to disable, and that only lasts so long anyway."

Her logic made sense. There was only one response to that, but Jack didn't think Merida would appreciate the use of cussing in that situation.

Suddenly, a dirty, big boy ran up to them. "Jack! Merida?"

"Kristoff!" they shouted in unison.

…

Rapunzel froze.

"I did."

…

Kristoff ran up to his friends. "Merida! Where the heck have you been?"

"We'll talk later. We have to win a battle right now. How's it going?"

"Good! Turns out the animals are more than willing to help."

That explained the deer and moose and buffalo running wild around the Arendellian's ranks now.

…

A boy with hair that could just barely be called long stepped forward. He was a head taller than Rapunzel, with brown eyes and hair. "Stop."

In response, seemingly in slow-motion, Kaa lifted his dagger and sliced down the middle of the boy's stomach. "I think it would be wiser for you to stop."

Rapunzel sucked in a breath as he fell to the floor, breathing deeply. Tears gathering in her eyes.

"Or you," came a new voice.

The posse turned to meet the new person and immediately began howling with laughter again.

"Just because I look funny doesn't mean you get to laugh about it," she snapped.

…

Anna kept asking Elsa questions, but she didn't understand.

Why did Anna think Elsa had attacked and maimed her? Why was her version of events in that school hallway so different from hers?

Why was the only person she had ever loved suddenly frothing at the bit to torture her?

…

Adam zipped up his pants and journeyed back into the fight. He had to find his other friends and find out what had happened to them.

Well, he had been planning on doing that, but soon he got distracted.

…

While the Blesseds laughed, Elphaba collected energy in the form of electricity in her hands. She promptly electrocuted Kaa and his minions, their smiles frozen on their faces.

She grinned. "Much better."

…

Anna lifted her hand to smack Elsa. "Anna!" she cried. "Stop! Why are you doing this to me?"

"All you ever did was lie to me!" Anna shouted. "Why can't you be more like Hans?"

"Hans?" Elsa asked. "You think HANS is truthful?"

"Hans loves me!" Anna cried. "He doesn't try to kill me!"

"HANS DOESN'T LOVE YOU!" Elsa shouted.

"YES, HE DOES!"

…

Elphaba kicked the Blesseds to the side as she approached Rapunzel. "Rapunzel! Oh, my God!"

Rapunzel threw herself into her arms. "You saved me…"

"I'm so proud of you! You even took out that guy!" Elphaba exclaimed, pointing at the boy who had stood up to Kaa. Rapunzel stared at him in shock.

"No… that wasn't me!" she protested. "He tried to stop them… and Kaa stabbed him…"

She disentangled herself from Elphaba and knelt by the boy. His eyes fluttered. "Rapunzel?"

Rapunzel burst into tears. Elphaba patted her shoulders. She lifted his head into her lap, sobbing. Eventually, she hugged him.

"I'm sorry… so sorry," Rapunzel wept. "If only… my hair…"

If only Kaa hadn't cut off her golden hair, she would be able to heal him.

…

"Are you okay?" Adam asked the girl. She was crying.

She lifted her head from her knees. "No, I'm not…" Fear grew in her eyes as she realized that she wasn't on the same side as this boy who was standing before her.

"Do I know you?" she asked suddenly. "You seem familiar."

"I don't think so…"

But now that he thought about it, he was pretty sure he'd seen her before the battle.

…

The boy inhaled sharply. His eyes opened, blinking furiously.

"Rapunzel?" he asked, groaning.

"But he just F***ING DIED!" Elphaba yelled.

"I did?"

…

Soon enough, Jack and Merida and Kristoff had managed to assemble a small force of Suburbans. The ones who didn't want to lose this battle.

"Dash, you corner the Blesseds. Take Jane with you; she can calm them down before you bring them to us to lock in the basements of the houses," Jack instructed.

For once, Dash didn't talk back. He and Jane ran off into the crowd.

"Peter, you take some birds and take more Blesseds out of the battle, okay? Get some of the bigger ones, you'll be able to do more lifting," Merida suggested. Peter grinned.

"Can I take someone with me?" he asked.

"I'll come," Wendy volunteered. The two of them flew off together.

…

"I never got your name," Rapunzel interjected.

"I'm Flynn," the boy introduced, sitting up. "Flynn Fitzherbert."

"Well, Flynn Fitzherbert, I thank you for your actions," Rapunzel replied formally.

"No problem," Flynn replied. "By the way, why am I not de-"

"Shhh! Listen!" Elphaba interrupted.

"Why are you doing this to me?" someone cried downstairs.

"All you ever did was lie to me! Why can't you be more like Hans?" was the reply.

"Hans? You think HANS is truthful?" the first speaker asked incredulously.

"Hans loves me! He doesn't try to kill me!" cried the second person.

"HANS DOESN'T LOVE YOU!" yelled the first.

"YES, HE DOES!" screamed the second.

"Why is someone arguing with Anna about Hans?" Flynn wondered aloud. "Who would Anna track down to argue about…" His eyes widened. "We have to get downstairs!"

"Why? Who is it?" Elphaba asked.

"Let me talk really fast for just one second. Anna and Hans are dating and also the ones who planned the invasion trust me I didn't want to they forced me but they convinced the officials to let them invade because we're so powerful and anyway Anna's sister lives here and once tried to kill Anna even though I seriously doubt that partially because there's a rumor that Hans attacked Elsa and turned it the other way around to convince her and then provoked Elsa into looking like the bad guy and then they got into a fight about who was right right before she left and now they're both downstairs-"

Rapunzel's eyes widened. "You can't be serious."

"What?" asked Elphaba. "I feel so out-of-the-loop right now, just tell me! It's been a long battle, okay?"

"How recent was that first fight?" Rapunzel rushed.

"Last fall, maybe?" Flynn remarked, counting on his fingers. "Yeah, that's about right."

"Stop talking in riddles!" Elphaba threw her hands up.

"Elphaba. THINK. Who came here last fall, heartbroken and shy and and unsure of herself?"

"Jane?"

"It's Elsa! Let's go!" Rapunzel ordered, pulling Elphaba out of the room with Flynn on their tails.

"You know, that makes much more sense now."

"It's fine, you've had a long day."

…

Soon enough, Elsa and Anna's debate had turned into them spitting insults and denials into each other's faces.

Anna was furious. She had been upset and unsure and falling apart for so long now, ever since her parents died, really, and here was a chance to let it all out on the person that caused it all.

Elsa was furious too. Nothing was making sense. Anna was throwing situations that had never happened into her face and was blaming her for them. And she had been upset for a long time too, and even more broken than her sister, who was her only remaining family (or so she thought). With her only remaining family wanting to kill her, Elsa just didn't know what else to do.

They were both so busy with their argument, they failed to notice the thumps coming from upstairs, or the fact that the Blesseds up there had also gone silent.

…

"I'm not going to try and kill you," Adam reassured the girl. She nodded uncertainly, trying to get herself to believe him.

"But why are you crying?"

She took a deep breath, wiping her cheek. "Have you ever been so overwhelmed by violence that all you want is for it to stop? Been caught on the losing side with people you don't like or sometimes even know anymore? I- I just want it all to stop." A fresh tear rolled down her cheek.

"Yeah, actually, I have."

…

Anna smacked Elsa across the cheek.

Suddenly, Elsa's anger dissolved and she began to cry.

All she had ever wanted was her sister, but her sister was gone.

…

Flynn descended the steps silently, Rapunzel and Elphaba in tow. In horror, the three of them watched as Anna beat on her sister again and again, Elsa too weak to resist.

Rapunzel started to cry behind him. Elphaba turned away.

"I can't watch that," she whispered.

"We have to stop this," murmured Rapunzel, shoulders shaking.

"She's gone off the deep end," Flynn muttered. "When I find Hans, I am going to kill him for this."

"I'm going in there," Rapunzel declared quietly.

"No, I will," Flynn objected. "Anna knows me. She'll react better to me than some random stranger."

"You're not leaving me behind." Rapunzel crossed her arms. "Elsa just got kidnapped by her sister. I'm her best friend. I'm coming too."

"Fine."

…

_He gave her a pointed look. "It's always summer in Arendelle. How could it not be? Everyone here has power over warmth or light. Or sometimes both. Except you." _

_Elsa was launching into a cold sweat now. "Stop, or I'll-" _

"_Or what?" sneered Hans. _

"_I'll-" _

_She couldn't hold on to it anymore. She let go. _

_If her parents were still alive, she might have managed. _

_But they were gone. _

_Icicles shot out of her hands and made a sharp, pointy wall around her. Hans backed up into a locker, startled. Snowflakes swept around the hall. _

_Anna and one of her friends, Belle, a dark-haired beauty, turned the corner. Another of her friends, Flynn, tagged along behind them. They were all laughing together. The picture of high school glory and fun. _

_Until they saw Hans, shivering up against a locker; Elsa, opposite him with ice walls towering above her, and snowflakes floating through the air. Both had semi-terrified, semi-gleeful expressions. Elsa had been wanting to unleash her powers at Hans for months. _

_Belle gave a terrified squeak. Flynn gave a shout. Both began shivering. _

_Anna stared at Elsa. _

"_How- what-" she managed. "Was that you?" _

"_Yes," said Elsa shortly. Anna finally knew. She could finally stop hiding. "Anna-" _

"_Have you always been able to do this?!" shouted Anna. _

"_Yes," she replied. _

"_Why didn't you tell me?" yelled Anna. _

"_Why should I have?" asked Elsa, starting to get upset. "I hurt you, Anna, I didn't want-" _

"_What about what I would have wanted. I thought we were close. We're sisters! We've been through thick and thin, through the loss of our parents! How could you?!" She trembled with what Elsa automatically assumed was anger. Elsa herself was so upset, a large ring of snow around her was melting, with her in the center. She became hard to look at, she was so bright. _

"_That lock of your hair, the white one-" Elsa was interrupted. _

"_You even kept my hair color a secret from me?! I hate you!" _

_And with that, Elsa's heart broke to pieces. _

"_Anna, please, let me explain-" she started to weep. _

"_NO! For all I know, we aren't even related!" _

Elsa remembered this and sobbed harder. The tears were blurring her vision by now. Her ears were ringing, and her nose was probably bleeding. Her lips were puffy too.

_Elsa lost it. Her heart, shattered into a million stomped on, ripped up, broken pieces, was gone. Anna had backed her the corner of her walls, and there she sat, shaking, silently crying, for the first time in her life, _

_cold. _

_hard. _

_and broken. _

_everything she had once loved was gone. _

After that, she remembered nothing.

…

By some mercy, Elsa's head lolled to the side, unfeeling. Anna stared at her sister. Then at her hands.

Then back at Elsa.

A pair of big, warm arms wrapped around her. "Hans?"

"Flynn."

She attempted to turn around and loosen herself from his grasp.

But for some reason, he wouldn't let go of her.

"Flynn?"

"Anna, what just happened?"

"Flynn, let me go!"

A girl darted in front of her, sobbing. "Elsa! Elsa…" Another girl ran after her.

"Hey! Don't touch her!" Anna shouted. Flynn started to drag her away from Elsa and the other girls. "Hey!"

"Anna, you're sick," Flynn replied firmly. "You need help."

"I don't need anyone's help! Let me go!" Anna squirmed in his embrace.

"But you do need help. Trust me, you'll thank us later. You'll understand."

"FLYNN! STOP IT! LET GO!"

…

"It's got to stop sometime, right?" the girl asked. "The violence? The anger? The pain?"

"Peace isn't permanent, but neither is war," Adam attempted to explain. "So, um…"

The girl's eyes were suddenly not on his, but above them. "Ella, what're you doing? ELLA! NO!"

…

The Blessed numbers were down by just over half. Not without casualties, of course- Jane had been incapacitated and so had many others.

But, finally, the tides of the battle were beginning to turn.


	32. Beginnings and Endings

***Here you guys go…* **

**Part 32- Beginnings and Endings**

"I'm going to find the others," Elphaba told Flynn and Rapunzel before dashing up the stairs and out of the house.

Rapunzel, tears dripping off the tip of her nose, half-carried, half-dragged Elsa to the side. She opened up a closet to find blankets inside. She piled them up into a little bed before laying Elsa on it and crying over her, only partially to try and heal her again.

Flynn lifted Anna, who was not going quietly, into the chair, which he quickly bound her to. Tightly. Even then, he had to stuff a piece of cloth in her mouth to get her to shut up.

About twenty minutes later, Anna had quieted down and Merida, Jack, and Kristoff had arrived. While Elphaba and Merida and Kristoff rushed to Elsa immediately, Jack lingered to talk to Flynn.

"Did she really try to kill Elsa?" Jack asked in a low tone.

Flynn sighed. "Yeah. I saw some of it."

Jack cast a look over his shoulder. "Is she okay?"

"I think she will be eventually. I'm Flynn, by the way."

"Jack. I'm friends with Elsa." _And Anna. Was, anyway. Oh, and siblings too! _

"I was friends with both of them. Now…" He ran a hand through his hair, which Jack took a second to admire. It was some pretty impressive stuff. "I just don't know anymore."

He turned to Anna. "Can we trust you to be quiet and take the gag out?"

Anna nodded, her attention on Jack. "Mmmm."

Flynn stepped forward and untied the cloth, tossing it to the side. "Hi, Flynn! You know, I never knew you were a traitor!" were the first cheerful words out of her mouth.

"I'm not the traitor here," Flynn replied quietly.

"Really? Then who is? Elsa? Jack?" Anna grinned as she stared at him.

"You know who it is."

"No, I really don't," Anna continued. "Is it Belle? Where is she, by the way?"

…

Belle stared at Ella in horror.

"What did you do to him?" she cried.

Ella brushed her bangs out of her eyes, long golden hair waving down her back. A rock was clutched in her hand. "Don't you remember what he did?" she asked.

"But what did _you _do?" Belle whispered, staring at the boy's sprawled-out form in the grass next to her. All he had done was comforted her while she cried about the world's violence… right?

"I gave him what he deserved. Don't you remember Meg and Eric, Belle? Don't you remember what he _did_ to them?"

The memory slowly came back to her. "Adam… he killed them…" She looked up at where Ella was towering over her.

"Differents are vicious. They aren't worth it, Belle. They _kill us_. Don't you forget it."

…

"I don't know where she is, Anna, but we're talking about you right now, not Belle," Flynn responded.

"What're we talking about? The fact that you have a traitor in your midst? One that isn't me?"

Merida glanced over to where the three of them were talking, Kristoff and Elphaba following her gaze and shooting them curious looks. Rapunzel was still too focused on Elsa to react.

Flynn crossed his arms. "Yeah, right."

"Or you, or Elsa."

Flynn raised an eyebrow. "Try me."

"Actually, two, now that I think about it."

Jack's eyebrows shot up too. He knew she was talking about him, but who else had made the cut?

"Check my pocket," Anna commanded. "My jean's pocket. This one here."

Flynn skeptically stepped forward again and removed a piece of folded paper. He undid the creases and read what was on the paper.

"Dear Merida, where have you been? We've been so worried- you've been disappearing and and reappearing and so much has happened since we last saw you, it isn't even funny. Adam had to take a break in the basement and Elsa's arm is paralyzed or something- but you probably know that, you were doing the farting dog pose when it happened. Even though you disappeared after.

"But Adam's back now and Elsa's okay. We're all just trying to get to you. I hope Anna gets this delivered, even though it's unlikely. Anyway, stay strong, wherever you are. It's getting suspicious, almost like you ran away or were kidnapped or something. We hope to see you soon."

Flynn cleared his throat. "It ends there."

All eyes were on him.

"Did this ever get delivered?" he asked Anna.

She grinned and nodded. "Yes."

Jack's eyes widened as he and the rest turned to Merida. "Is this true?"

Merida shuddered. "Yes. Not in the way you might think, but yes."

A small intake of breath echoed around the room.

"Do you know who it was from?" Flynn asked, barreling on.

Merida shook her head. "I have some idea, but not for sure."

"Well, I know," Anna volunteered.

Everyone turned to her.

"But I'm not telling."

Flynn groaned. "I swear to God, you will tell us or I will stuff that gag back in your mouth."

"Maybe you should just do that anyway," muttered Kristoff.

"Wait! No! Fine! The second traitor is… my very own brother!"

Kristoff and Flynn exchanged glances. Now that Jack thought about it, they must have known each other, having lived in Chicago together most of their lives. So that left one guy left in the room who would qualify.

Jack closed his eyes.

"Jack…?" Rapunzel asked in a frightened awe. "Is she telling the truth?"

Jack opened his eyes and stared at Anna, who replied with an amused shrug.

"It's not like that," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Yep, birth certificates lie," Anna replied cheerfully.

…

In her own little corner, Elsa groggily sensed the other's voices. Rapunzel was crying, she was pretty sure. Merida's mane of hair was very… present. She thought Kristoff and Elphaba were nearby. Some other people she distantly recognized were across the room.

…

"But… is Anna your sister or not?" Rapunzel asked.

Jack nodded, head in his hands. "As far as I know, she is. Elsa, too."

"You _lied _to us," Merida whispered, her eyes full of shock. "You knew this and you didn't tell anyone?"

He shook his head. "Not even Elsa."

Heavy silence engulfed the room as the people inside digested his words.

"You gave her that letter in case she saw Merida?" Flynn guessed, breaking the silence.

He nodded, still not looking up.

"Still, though, there were things I didn't tell him," Anna interrupted. "For example, I locked Merida up in my basement!"

Merida looked at her hands, which were folded in her lap. "Yes, she did."

Rapunzel hugged Merida, who soon had tears leaking from her eyelids.

"But why Merida?" Elphaba spoke up.

Anna and Merida made eye contact. "I had some help, honestly," Anna confessed. "People were joining my cause, and one girl told me she had information on the inside. And a person we could get information from if we needed."

"It wasn't like that," Merida mumbled. "She did things to me… she tied me up, didn't let me release the winds… you all saw me, when I came back. I wasn't okay."

"It's true. She looked like she was about to drop dead," Jack added.

"But, anyway, her sister offered her up, and we took the invitation," Anna finished. "You see, Merida's older sister Aida Transferred to Arendelle. She met the power requirements. Plus, she hated you Differents."

Elphaba frowned. "But you told us she died."

"In a way, she did," Merida replied. "Just… on the inside."

"So, one of the co-leaders of the invading Blessed army is Jack and Elsa's younger sister, who is out to destroy Elsa in particular, who doesn't know Jack is related to her. Merida's older sister Transferred to Arendelle and gave the Blessed army information on how to kidnap her sister. Jack and Anna conversed in secret this entire time. Rapunzel has magic tears, Anna almost just succeeded in killing Elsa, the battle is still going on outside, Adam is MIA, and we're all going to need some serious therapy after this," Flynn summed up.

…

Rapunzel nodded grimly, still next to Elsa's makeshift bedside, holding her hand. Hopefully, she wouldn't wake up until all the drama was done and over with. Still, though, everyone there would be scarred, especially Elsa, Jack, Merida, and Anna… Rapunzel lost herself in her thoughts as the rest began talking over each other, debating what to do next, what to do with Anna, who was sitting back and enjoying the distrust she had created among the friends, and who was actually worth trusting.

Rapunzel rubbed Elsa's hand. It was cold, as always, but it was particularly cold in that moment. Rapunzel had to rub furiously to keep up with the cold that was emanating from her friend.

"Wait a minute…" she murmured.

Flynn and Anna, the only Blesseds in the room, started to shiver, unused to the temperature drops. Rapunzel did too, her talent having to do with flowers and such. Merida and Jack didn't budge.

Soon enough, though, everyone noticed the difference in atmosphere, especially when it started snowing.

…

Elsa started to make out words towards the end of the conversation, the blurry shapes becoming clear, the world becoming sharper.

"...who is out to destroy Elsa in particular, who doesn't know Jack is related to her. Merida's older sister Transferred to Arendelle and gave the Blessed army information on how to kidnap her sister. Jack and Anna conversed in secret this entire time. Rapunzel has magic tears, Anna almost just succeeded in killing Elsa, the battle is still going on outside, Adam is MIA, and we're all going to need some serious therapy after this," an unfamiliar voice uttered.

Elsa's heart began to race. What? Jack was related to her? Merida kidnapped by her sister? One of her best friends and sister conversing in secret? Adam MIA?

As the voices blurred together, Elsa slowly put the pieces together. As she realized what was going on, she felt a strange sensation in her arm.

The one that wasn't working quite right.

…

The room went silent. All eyes turned to Jack.

He shrugged. "Not me."

All eyes turned to Elsa.

"But she's asleep…?" It came out as more of a question than a statement.

Rapunzel shook her head in response to Merida's question. "I'm not sure. Her hands are reeeeally cold… but you know how she's been lately…"

The entire room watched as Elsa's eyes shot open. She sat up, and, despite Rapunzel's protests, got to her feet. All signs of harm on her face were gone.

"...Elsa?" Jack asked shakily. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head. "I'm not. You could have told me, you know. I heard everything."

Jack's mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.

Elsa turned to Anna. "You… well, I thought you loved me. I certainly loved you. And now you come back to me, but with an army, so you can kill me and my friends. Apparently my family, too." She cast a sidelong look at Jack, who became very interested in the detailing on his snowflake hoodie all of a sudden.

She closed her eyes for a brief second, then opened them again. "But now I'm pretty sure I don't have a family anymore."

Elsa swept from the room and was gone.

…

Rapunzel moved to go after her. "Elsa! Elsa!"

Surprisingly enough, it was Merida who held her back. "She's been hurt, Punz. Give her some time."

"But…" Rapunzel sagged in Merida's embrace. "Elsa…" She started to cry.

For a while, that was the only sound in the basement.

…

Not much longer, the Differents (and Flynn) emerged from the house to find the battle over and won, with the so-called Blesseds driven out. The small amount of dead were labeled and laid together off the side of a road, the wounded escorted to the hospital. The Blesseds stuck in the basements were temporarily forgotten about. Then they were remembered, and then forgotten about again, possibly on purpose the second time. Once all that was taken care of, the weary Differents headed back to where they had come from- their beds.

…

Elsa was confused, and upset, and so many other things. She kept brooding over the events of the day, but those made her even more upset. She had to think about something else.

For some reason, her mind went to the first day of school.

She'd been so depressed and lonely then, but her friends had turned it all around for her. Her teachers had been so kind. Her friends welcoming her with open arms. One of those friends had turned out to be her twin brother, which she didn't entirely understand yet.

Her mind wandered to her first English class, with Mr. Haan talking about the origin of the Suburbs. The man who had created that haven for the people society considered weak, useless. She remembered the tree the man had delved into the history of that had inspired him to take control of his life and better so many others'. Including hers. And her brothers'. And Merida's, and Kristoff's, and Adam's, and Jane's.

Heck, without that spark of inspiration, Rapunzel and Madison and Elphaba wouldn't even be alive.

So why would someone- say, her younger sister- want to destroy that?

…

Ella walked away from Adam's splayed-out form, letting the rock slide from her hand into the road.

Belle's thoughts are in turmoil. Adam had made sense.

Then, Ella had come along and twisted it. She was heartbroken and furious.

Then again, though, she remembered Meg and Eric. The sarcastic and the sweet.

_Just a little change, small to say the least _

_Both a little scared, neither one prepared _

_Beauty and the beast _

She thought of Anna. She thought of how Anna had changed the past few months as Elsa left that void in Anna's heart. She remembered how it had all been before Elsa's discovery. She remembered Ella before Adam's discovery.

_Bittersweet and strange, finding you can change _

Anna had changed. Ella had changed.

Couldn't other people change too?

_Learning you were wrong _

Belle crawled over to where Adam was laying in the dirt and brushed his clipped locks aside from his forehead. A jagged cut was torn across his forehead. His breath was shallow. Blood trickled down his cheek.

She found herself crying and holding him. His eyes fluttered open, and her brown eyes met his blue.

"I-I'm sorry," she told him. He had just wanted to comfort her.

He grimaced. "My own… fault."

"Please don't die," she whispered.

"I'll try."

His eyes fluttered shut. Belle began to panic. "Adam? Adam! Stay awake! Stay with me!"

He didn't respond.

"HELP! SOMEONE! HELP ME!"

…

On their way back to the town, Flynn's ears perked up.

"HELP ME!"

He stopped in his tracks. "That sounds like…"

"PLEASE! SOMEONE!"

"Belle?" Flynn called. "BELLE?!"

"Flynn!"

Flynn dashed off in the direction he'd heard the voice coming from, Rapunzel and the rest hot on his heels. Soon enough, he found Belle in a ditch, desperately clinging to a guy with blood on his face and his eyes closed.

"Adam?" Merida cried.

"Flynn, help me, Ella hit him, I don't know what to do, help me…"

Rapunzel ran forward. "Kristoff, call some heavy duty. Elphaba, get that cart ready. Jack, an iced path, please, and some ice packs. We need to get Adam to the hospital." When everyone stared at her in astonishment, she yelled, "Go!"

The three with assigned tasks ran off. "Flynn, help me lift him, you too, Merida. Take him over to Elphaba, hurry!"

Kristoff got two reindeer hooked to the cart Elphaba found. Jack smoothed out and quickened the ride. Flynn and Merida lifted Adam into the cart, everyone else piling in after him. Flynn took the reins, Merida ready to direct him.

Five minutes later, thanks to Jack's handiwork, they arrived at the hospital. Adam was taken to the emergency room and wheeled away for surgery.

In the waiting room, some were anxious, others were sleeping, and some were headed that way.

"Rapunzel, how did you do that?" Merida asked over Kristoff's snores. "I mean… you just... I don't even know!"

Rapunzel shrugged, yawning. Crying tired people out. "I'm a healer. It's what I do."

…

_If someone wanted to destroy the love that had been created, they had to be seriously messed up._

Elsa's eyes widened. _Anna… _

God, she'd been so wrong. Anna was not to blame ofr her actions. Jack was not to blame for his actions. They were both just broken people trying to do what they thought was right.

And she had a feeling she knew exactly what- or, possibly better said, _who- _had broken them.

She ran back towards the road the battle had taken place on. She had things to do.

…

Captured by the Suburbans forces, Hans Westerguard paced in his cell. Apparently, the Suburban authorities didn't want to try and talk to him first. Somehow, they'd figured out he was the leader of the Blessed army. They wanted him to reveal why he'd done everything, his motives, to the people he knew. People he'd met before they Transferred to the place he'd attacked and been defeated at just a half and hour before. Former Blesseds.

Indeed, the first person to meet with him was someone he remembered quite well.

"What the _hell_, Hans," Elsa spat. Hans raised his eyebrows.

"Resorting to that low-levelry already, Elsa? Honestly, it isn't like you-"

"Shut up."

The fierceness of her tone actually got him to shut his mouth in surprise.

"What did you do to my sister, Hans?" she demanded. "She just tried to kill me. Anna. Anna beat me senseless, Hans, and I want to know _why-" _

"I merely told her the truth of what happened in that hallway," he replied simply.

Elsa bristled. "Nothing happened. No one got physically hurt. Anna was _fine. _I went after her. _She _was the one locking me out, Hans."

"I took care of her. Just, you know, took her home, drugged her, roughed her up, told her you made an attempt on her life," he replied casually.

"You lied to her?"

"Not lied. Fabricated," he corrected. "Yes, I fabricated some information. It was what she needed to hear."

Tears sprung in Elsa's eyes. "Don't you know what that did to her? It tore her up inside. She thought she was alone. She thought revenge was the answer. _Anna, _of all people. Why would you break her so badly?"

"You Differents are parasites. You dampen and darken the world the Blesseds have been given. You need to be wiped out. Anna was popular. Anna, people would follow. Anna was in the right situation. She was Play-Doh, and I used her like I needed to. I made a prettier picture."

"Who made you like this?" Elsa mumbled, staring at him in horror. "What happened to _you?_"

"I was shown the truth of this world." Hans crossed his arms over his chest. "I used to be just like Anna, you know. I had my own loving older sibling who betrayed me."

"She didn't betray me."

…

Merida wrung out her hands. Finally, a doctor emerged from the closed door, a grim expression on his face.

"Mr. Adam's associates?" he asked. Merida, Flynn and Rapunzel woke the rest of their dozing friends. Belle didn't move. "I have some updates on your friend's condition."

"And?" Merida asked.

The doctor sighed. "Your friend is in a coma. We don't know when he'll wake up… if he does. We have him on life support right now. He had severe brain and skull damage, and apparently his Talent, his transforming ability, has been severely damaged as well."

The friends sagged with the news.

…

Anna rounded the corner and entered the cell. "You did."

Hans's eyes became round like dinner plates. "Wha…?"

"You made me think she was a monster." Anna's face scrunched up. "You made me think I loved you…"

"You do!" Hans cried, frantic now. His scheme was falling apart.

"I _don't_!" Anna countered.

"It doesn't matter. Elsa hid from you, and then she left you in your toughest times. You hate her," Hans concluded.

"Since when do you control me?!" Anna cried indignantly.

"Since you discovered Elsa was the reason your parents died."

"No. _Stop_. Stop messing with me!"

"Your parents were harboring a fugitive. The government knew that, Anna. They just didn't know which one was _wrong_. I gave them the information they needed to remove her cold influence from your heart. I helped you."

Anna raised her head, which she had buried in her hands, to look at Elsa. "Elsa…" she whispered.

"No. Hans! Stop!" Elsa shouted.

"The authorities told you a Mobile crashed into your family, but really, it was them executing criminals," Hans continued.

Anna buried her head back in her hands, muttering, "No… no… no…"

Elsa swiveled to face Hans. "What are you doing? Can't you see you're breaking her?"

Hans ignored her. "First Jakob, then your parents, then Elsa. They all turned from you, Anna. I'm all you need."

"Anna, please, listen to me," Elsa pleaded. "We didn't turn, we were taken… We love you…"

"Lies… all lies, Anna."

"I dreamed about you, Anna, I thought about you all the time…"

"She's lying! She forgot about you like that!" Hans snapped his fingers to illustrate his point.

Elsa's heart sank. It was so much easier to forget than to remember, and Elsa had tried the easy out. Hans wasn't entirely untruthful.

"After I left you, my powers, they just stopped working, they froze up. I need you, Anna." As she spoke the words, it became clearer and clearer in her mind that this was the truth. She needed Anna more than anything.

_And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast _

_I'm never going back, the past is in the past _

"I need you," Elsa whispered. She began to cry. "_I need you, Anna." _

***Songs: **

**Beauty and the Beast, from Beauty and the Beast **

**Let It Go, from Frozen* **


	33. Pants On Fire

**Part 33- Pants On Fire**

"At one point, you know, you knew," Hans continued, ignoring Elsa's tears. "About everything. Then came the accident, the government mercifully allowing you to forget what had happened, allowed you to be happy. Don't you see, Anna? Elsa only takes away your happiness. What good could you get from going to her?"

Anna lifted her head from her hands. "B-but you lied to me."

…

Jack leapt up from his chair. Merida caught his arm, a questioning expression on her face.

"I need some air," he told her, breaking free and breezing out the ER door. His head was overheating with the events of the day. He needed to cool down. Mostly, he needed sleep. He hadn't been sleeping consistently since before Anna had first contacted him, and it was really not helping his condition when betrayal and fighting and near-death experiences were all piled into one day. He couldn't even think about Adam. He was getting so many bad premonitions, so many terrible possibilities, they were all flying through his head at the speed of light.

Jack was so caught up in his thoughts he didn't even stop to notice where he was going. Based on the stone walls and the many flights of stairs he had taken down in order to get there, Jack would say he had arrived in the basement. Someone was having a loud argument down the hall. Jack almost swerved to avoid it when he managed to identify a familiar voice.

…

"Only to protect you," Hans comforted. "It was all for your absolute safety."

"Throwing her into a cult and a battle is what you call keeping her safe?!" Elsa demanded. Hans ignored her.

"Anna, I just want you to be happy." Hans threw Elsa a triumphant smirk as Anna stared at the floor, trying to figure out who was on her side. They both seemed so genuine. What was she supposed to _do? _

…

After Jack left, a few others did as well. Elphaba and Kristoff went off to tell their parents more about what had happened and where they all were. Rapunzel was asleep in the chair next to her, exhausted from the day's ordeal and unlikely to wake up anytime soon. Flynn and Belle were talking in hushed voices, Belle looking especially distraught.

Merida, on the other hand, was sitting in the waiting room chair, waiting in silence. She knew her friend would wake up. He had to. This was her first ever friend. This was the boy who had helped her endure the torture at home until Aida had finally Transferred. She desperately needed sleep- the adrenaline gained from escaping that basement and rejoining her friends in the battle and using her talent for the first time in weeks was long gone. But her eyes refused to shut as she gazed at the floor, studying its tiled patterns, as she waited for the doctor to come back and tell them Adam was fine.

…

Anna looked up at Elsa, tear tracks still evident on her face.

She glanced at Hans, smirking, thinking the battle was already over.

Hans took a step towards her, arms outstretched. "Anna-"

Before he could finish, she dealt him a solid uppercut to the face, then turning on her heel and fleeing.

…

Slowly, the waiting room began to fill in as more and more Suburbans were admitted to the hospital and more relatives and friends waited to go in and see them. It wasn't as if the majority of the Suburbs was there, but there were some very injured people. It was going to happen in battles like the one that had just taken place; it was inevitable.

…

Jack was approaching the voices with caution when Anna came flying out of the room,her face scrunched up as though she was about to cry. Someone howled in pain in the room Anna had just exited.

Anna tried to brush past him, but Jack caught her arm. "Are you okay?"

Anna met his gaze. That was all it took for Jack to instantly know that she was not okay. She was nothing close to okay.

Jack allowed Anna to collapse, exhausted and confused, into his arms, sobbing. He gently led her away from the hospital, away from the day's events, back to his house, his room, his bed. She fell asleep quickly.

Jack studied Anna's face, peaceful and carefree as she slept. He could almost see the girl Elsa had been so torn up about when she had first arrived in the Suburbs.

…

Elsa fled the room quickly after Anna, music blaring in her ears. It was funny; Rapunzel had taught her all that time ago that she could use music to block out the causes of her anxiety, and here it was again, only making the situation worse.

_Well, if you wanted honesty, that's all you had to say _

Tears blurred her vision, but she still made it out of that basement. She fuzzily remembered to avoid the waiting room. She didn't want anyone coming after her.

_I never want to let you down or have you go, it's better off this way _

She stumbled into the bright, cheerful sunlight of late afternoon. How had time passed so quickly? She blinked, her vision slowly clearing, before fleeing around the corner in the direction of her house.

_For all the dirty looks, the photographs your boyfriend took _

_Remember when you broke your foot jumping out the second floor? _

She finally made it there, the lead singer's words blaring hauntingly in her ears. Not every line of the verses made sense, but most did, especially considering the first half of the first verse and the entire second one.

And the choruses?

Well, they were perfect.

_I'm not okay _

_I'm not okay _

_I'm not okay _

_You wear me out _

No one seemed to be home, or maybe her foster's place was just too large to tell. Either way, she ran up the stairs to her bedroom, not even bothering to close the door as she executed a flying leap into her bed, tears pouring from her eyes.

_What will it take to show you that it's not the life it seems? _

_I've told you time and time again you sing the words but don't know what it means _

She didn't know where Anna was. She was glad she wasn't her younger sister; Anna probably had at least as many thoughts tumbling through her head, enough to at least rival Elsa.

_To be a joke, and look, another line without a hook _

_I held you close as we both shook- for the last time, take a good hard look! _

She stood and grabbed her picture of herself and Anna from when they were younger, before Anna's memory was wiped. She stared at it for a long, hard moment.

_I'm not okay_

_I'm not okay_

_I'm not okay _

_You wear me out _

The next thing she knew, Elsa too was asleep, holding that old picture as tightly as though her life depended on it.

…

The next few days passed in a haze. Elsa remembered being at the hospital as much as possible. Seeing Adam, hooked up to all the IVs and looking so small and fragile in his hospital bed.

Watching Merida throughout the entire ordeal was one of the worst parts. She was reminding Elsa too much of the Merida she had been before she'd fixed herself up. She was the one who never seemed to leave the hospital or allow herself to sleep. When Elsa thought of that Merida, though, she also had to remember the other part of the story…

...who had caused her to change like that the first time.

...

After the first few days had passed, one morning, Jack tapped her shoulder. "I need to show you something."

Elsa nodded and followed him off. The two hadn't really brought up the topic of them being twins, ever.

Jack led her outside and down the street, taking a few turns as he went. After about five minutes, they'd arrived at Jack's house: very large and comfortable, just like any other Suburban house.

Elsa didn't comment as he led her up the stairs and down the hall, to the very last room on the second floor. Jack opened it with a small creak.

Inside, sitting on the bed, was Anna. Elsa rushed to hug her.

"I was wrong. I know that now," Anna mumbled in Elsa's embrace. "He lied… he was just so convincing."

Elsa drew away and looked Anna in the eye. "Just know, Anna," she told her, "I would never do that to you. Ever."

The two hugged again. After a long few minutes, they released each other again.

Jack was smiling in the doorway.

"All better, then?" he asked.

Anna ran over and hugged him. "Thank you… and I'm sorry."

"You've said that enough."

It didn't take long for Elsa to join in on the hug.

Elsa, Anna, and Jack might have been a broken family. They still were.

But now, it looked like things could get better.

**Song: I'm Not Okay by My Chemical Romance**


End file.
